How you'll make an impact:The Associate Director or Director, Laboratory Operations and Facilities is responsible for a lab and a building that run smoothly day-to-day and for the systems and processes that allow both to scale as Kymera grows. This person works closely with the Executive Director, Facilities on the strategy for both functions, aligns on the annual goals, then leads execution. This is an on-site, hands-on leadership role that partners with Research, EHS, IT, Finance, People + Culture, and Strategic Sourcing.
- Align with the Executive Director, Facilities on the annual goals that deliver the operations strategy, then own the plans, priorities, and operating budget to meet them.
- Lead, coach, and develop a team spanning both functions; set clear expectations, plan capacity, delegate real ownership, and build coverage so no part of the operation depends on one person.
- Serve as the primary operations partner to Research leadership
- Build the metrics, reporting, and service standards that show how both functions are performing, and use them to drive improvement.
- Communication with the research organization on lab changes, planned downtime, and new processes, and run a regular feedback loop with scientists that drives service improvements.
- Own lab space planning: bench and equipment allocation, occupancy and capacity tracking, space taxonomy, and scenario modeling against the hiring plan.
- Serve as the lab operations lead on lab build-outs, moves, and reconfigurations, providing requirements, equipment placement, and commissioning input.
- Own the lab asset management and preventative-maintenance program, including equipment lifecycle, criticality, calibration, service contracts, and asset records.
- Own cold-storage strategy and environmental monitoring; ensure alarm response has staffed 24/7 coverage, a written escalation tree, and no single point of failure.
- Oversee consumables and lab inventory, including vendor-managed inventory, burn-rate reporting, and stockout prevention.
- Oversee lab sample and shipping logistics, including hazardous-materials and cold-chain shipping (DOT / IATA).
- Own facilities maintenance and building operations across office and lab space, including work-order and ticket flow, preventative maintenance, HVAC and BMS, utilities, and emergency power.
- Manage the landlord and building-services relationship for day-to-day operations, and hold facilities vendors to scope, quality, and schedule.
- Participate in site emergency preparedness and business continuity planning; support drills, incident response, and after-action follow-up.
- Partner with the EHS consultant on lab safety walkthroughs, inspections, and corrective actions, and keep the site audit-ready.
- Own chemical inventory and SDS management, including the supporting system and the processes around it.
- Lead or co-chair the Safety Committee, and drive safety programs, training compliance, and communications.
- Own the operational systems behind both functions (ServiceNow request and ticketing, asset and inventory platforms); drive adoption, reporting, and training.
- Write and maintain the SOPs, policies, and records that keep both functions consistent and auditable.
- Identify and implement process improvements, including automation and AI tools, that cut manual effort and improve response time.
- Manage service vendors and contracts end-to-end: scope, negotiation support, performance, and renewal.
Skills and experience you'll bring:- Bachelor's degree in a life sciences, engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience; advanced degree a plus.
- 6+ years in laboratory operations, facilities, or site operations within biotech, pharma, or a research environment, including experience leading a high performing team.
- Hands-on ownership across both lab and facilities scope, or deep expertise in one with credible working knowledge of the other.
- Working knowledge of lab EHS, chemical hygiene, hazardous-materials handling, and the regulatory expectations for a research site.
- Experience with building systems and environmental monitoring, and with alarm response and escalation in a lab environment.
- Experience owning an operating budget, with financial tracking and forecasting.
- Experience with operations systems (ticketing such as ServiceNow, asset management, inventory) and with vendor and contract management.
- Sound judgment under pressure, with real ownership and follow-through, and the ability to move between strategy and the floor.
- Ability to be on-site role in an active laboratory and office environment, with availability for occasional off-hours response to facility and lab incidents.
Compensation
- Kymera offers a competitive compensation package that recognizes both results and capabilities through market-based, performance-driven pay.
- The anticipated base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $275,000, with eligibility for annual bonus, equity participation, and comprehensive benefits.
- Actual salary is based on a holistic evaluation of the specific role/level as well as each candidate's depth of experience and the capabilities they bring to the position.
