Senior Manager, Sample Management

The Opportunity

Provide direct, hands-on leadership to sample management staff, including daily work assignment, prioritization, and real-time problem solving.

• Lead and participate in core sample management activities, including sample receipt, storage, tracking, retrieval, and disposal.
• Ensure smooth day-to-day operation of automated storage systems, LIMS, and supporting laboratory infrastructure.
• Train, mentor, and develop staff through on-the-job coaching, feedback, and performance management.
• Develop, maintain, and enforce SOPs and best practices for all critical sample management processes.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reliability, and scalability.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for cross-functional partners, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of materials.
• Work closely with the Director of Sample Management to communicate capacity, risks, and resource needs.
• Support onboarding and ramp-up of new staff and technologies within the laboratory.
• Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in tissue culture, including aseptic technique, routine cell line maintenance, culture optimization, cryopreservation, thawing, and recovery.
• Lead the design and execution of fit-for-purpose cell banking strategies, including the creation, expansion, characterization, qualification, release, use, and retirement of research, master, and working cell banks.
• Plan and oversee cell bank expansion activities, including seed-train design, passage management, scale-up scheduling, resource allocation, and assessment of growth, viability, and recovery performance.
• Establish and maintain cell bank inventory controls that ensure unique identification, accurate storage locations, complete metadata, chain of custody, inventory reconciliation, capacity planning, and full lifecycle traceability.
• Define and enforce contamination-control practices for tissue culture operations, including segregation strategies, biosafety requirements, cleaning and disinfection procedures, and appropriate response to contamination events.
• Oversee cell bank quality assessments, including cell identity or authentication, sterility, mycoplasma status, viability, morphology, purity, and other program-specific acceptance criteria.
• Provide expert troubleshooting for tissue culture and cell banking issues, investigate deviations and performance trends, determine root cause, and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
• Ensure cell culture and cryogenic equipment, including biological safety cabinets, incubators, controlled-rate freezers, and liquid nitrogen storage systems, is appropriately qualified, monitored, maintained, and fit for intended use.
• Partner with research teams to forecast cell line demand, prioritize banking and expansion work, establish service levels, and deliver qualified cell stocks that meet program timelines.
• Lead technical transfer, method standardization, and training for tissue culture and cell banking processes, including oversight of external vendors or contract laboratories when applicable.

Required Skills, Experience and Education

• BS/MS or equivalent degree in chemistry, biology, engineering, or a related scientific discipline.
• 5-10 years experience in sample management, compound management, or laboratory operations.
• Proven experience directly supervising and leading technical staff in a laboratory environment.
• Hands-on experience with automated sample storage systems, LIMS, and laboratory automation tools.
• Strong attention to detail, operational discipline, and commitment to data integrity.
• A proven background in continuous improvement methodologies.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, collaborative discovery environment.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience supporting small-molecule drug discovery programs.
• Experience training and mentoring early-career scientists or technicians.
• Exposure to process improvement initiatives or system implementations.
• Familiarity with vendor-managed laboratory automation platforms.
• Direct experience with Cenevo’s Sample Management Software Mosaic.