Job Description
Job Description
Salary : $83,000 - $94,000 annually
Join EarthOptics as a Lab Manager!
Our mission is to be the leading soil information company, delivering maps that growers, farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders use to cost-effectively increase yields and improve soil health and the climate. We are creating a future where traditional sampling methods are obsolete.
With the recent merger of EarthOptics and Pattern Ag, we are combining cutting-edge genomic analysis, data science, microbiology, and remote sensing to revolutionize agriculture. Our unified mission is to help farmers and ranchers sustainably increase their yields and feed the growing world through all things soil.
We are a growing company with a passion for soil health, innovative technologies, and supporting all within the food value chain. We currently have ~115 individuals spread across 30 states and 2 countries, and they come from all walks of life, industries, and experiences. We are deeply focused on building the future of AgTech and sustainability and helping the world see soil differently.
Our Lab Manager will join our Memphis Lab team to impact our mission through people manager and individual contributor responsibilities. The Lab Manager of our Memphis site will lead the daily operations of a soil processing facility, ensuring efficiency, safety, and compliance. This role oversees facility improvements, equipment setup, inventory management, and vendor negotiations while implementing standardized protocols for smooth operations. Managing both full-time employees and seasonal workers, the Lab Manager will drive productivity to meet quality and turnaround targets. This role requires strong organizational skills, adaptability in a fast-paced environment, and cross-departmental collaboration to support sustainable and data-driven agricultural practices. Excellent communication skills are essential to ensure proper synchronization between their lab, other labs, and upstream and downstream departments.
We have certain criteria across all our hires at EarthOptics, no matter the position or team. Regardless of the role, our team embraces learning, craves collaboration, and is driven by a fast-paced environment. If you resonate with our values and goals, we encourage you to applyeven if you don't meet every requirement. You could be the perfect fit for this role or future opportunities.
The digs :
- Job Type : Full-time, exempt
- Work Location : This is an onsite position in our Memphis Lab
- Travel : 5% of the time
- Target Start Date : March 24, 2025
- Compensation : $83,000 - $94,000 annually
- Your actual base pay will depend on your job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
What youll cultivate as a Lab Manager : (Your responsibilities)
Oversee and drive high-quality, efficient soil analyses, ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and industry regulations while improving turnaround times and service quality.Develop and execute strategic lab operations plans, managing resources, workflows, and process improvements to align with company objectives and optimize performance.Lead and mentor full-time and seasonal staff, potentially through Team Leads, fostering a high-performance culture and professional growth.Drive cross-functional collaboration, working with senior leadership and interdepartmental teams to influence lab strategy and ensure seamless integration with company-wide initiatives.Own lab infrastructure planning, including buildouts, expansions, and renovations, while managing vendor relationships to secure cost-effective solutions.Ensure accountability for quality, timeliness, and budget adherence, using data-driven insights to optimize efficiency and meet business objectives.Represent the lab team in senior management discussions, providing insights on operational challenges and opportunities for innovation.Provide effective leadership to the Memphis Lab team, including setting clear goals, defining roles and responsibilities, ensuring adherence to company policies, and fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.Model and promote a culture of autonomy, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement, ensuring the team contributes effectively to broader company goals.Recruit, interview, hire, and train staffAre you our soil-mate? Youll bloom in this role if you have : (Your qualifications)
Bachelors degree or higher in a scientific discipline (chemistry, biology, environmental science, or related field).5+ years of experience managing operations in a production-scale wet lab, including inventory management, lab safety compliance, and chemical handling.Proven leadership experience, including managing and developing teams, potentially through Team Leads, in a fast-paced, high-output environment.Strategic problem-solving skills with the ability to optimize lab workflows, drive process improvements, and align lab operations with company objectives.Strong vendor management and negotiation skills to secure cost-effective solutions and service contracts.Experience collaborating cross-functionally with senior leadership, research teams, and other departments to influence lab strategy and execution.Familiarity with soil chemistry analysis and laboratory techniques relevant to soil scienceWhile performing duties of this job, you will be required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms, stoop or kneel, talk and hear, and use fingers and hands.Must occasionally lift and / or move up to 50 lbs.
Specific vision abilities required include close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.This job will be performed in a Lab environment; dress is casual and Protective Personal Equipment is supplied as well as lab coats.We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor or transfer visas at this time.Although not required, wed love to see roots in :
Prior experience in a fast-paced, start-up environmentAside from the green, we can offer you :
Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance - 85% funded by EarthOptics for benefit-eligible employees and 65% for dependentsCompany-paid LTD, STD, and Life InsuranceMeaningful equity option grants401k Plan + Employer Match up to 4%17 days of paid time off, plus 10 additional company holidaysParental LeaveProfessional Development Stipend + access to learning platformsCandidate Referral ProgramAbove and Beyond Bonus ProgramFlexible Schedule & Hybrid / Remote Work EnvironmentRegular opportunities to give feedback on our benefits offeringsHow we stay grounded :
Although we have teammates working in the field, in-office, and at home, we aim to create a cohesive, diverse, and enriching environment for all of our employees. We embrace different tools to enhance our workflows and communicate intentionally, both live and asynchronously. A few quick facts you should know :
We rely on Slack to communicate. Although there are a variety of team-specific systems to facilitate your work, this is our primary!We love both food and emojis at EarthOptics. If hired, youll come to love (and use many) taco and donut emojis.Our core business hours are Monday through Friday 11am-4pm EST. We have teammates in every time zone, and have some teams that operate outside of that timeframe. As a remote employee, you are asked to honor those hours to ensure enough time to overlap with key cross-functional teams.In order to maximize our remote culture, we host company-wide opportunities to connect (virtually and in-person) and create space for focus work. For example, we have a weekly all-hands stand-up meeting on Monday and reserve Fridays as a regular No Meeting day.Instead of values, we believe in actionable cultural concepts. Collectively, we hold one another to act and give feedback with these concepts in mind. Ours are information and intent, recognition and respect, and autonomy and accountability.Inclusion and Diversity at EarthOptics :
At EarthOptics, we embrace diversity and equality, and stand against any form of discrimination or harassment. We base all hiring and promotion decisions on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, parental status, veteran status, or disability.
We are deeply committed to welcoming and including every qualified individual. As a part of this commitment, we ensure that persons with disabilities have access to reasonable accommodations. If you require assistance during the job application or interview process, need support to perform essential job functions, or seek other benefits and privileges of employment, please reach out to us at [email protected].
