Lab Operations Manager

About the role

CREW's R&D and laboratory team carries several commitments at once: carbon removal (CDR) deliveries and verification, a lab-based product evaluation and characterization program, wastewater and climate R&D, routine sample processing for our wastewater utility partners, and technical outputs such as reports, memos, and papers for partners, verifiers, and the wider field. As Manager, R&D & Laboratory Operations you lead that team across all of them. You decide with leadership what gets done and in what order, make the team's work and capacity visible to the rest of the company, and make sure the people on it have the time, clarity and growth path to do careful work.

This is a hands-on management role at a small company. You will know wet lab chemistry and the lab work well enough to judge it, and you will build the systems (goals, progress tracking, request intake, documentation) that keep a team of scientists focused as requests multiply. You will collaborate with wastewater process and climate experts across the team to set research direction together.

This role is located onsite at CREW's New Haven, CT or Brooklyn, NY office (with regular travel to the lab in New Haven, CT).

Responsibilities

• Own the team's roadmap and delivery across CDR, wastewater R&D, sample characterization, sample processing and technical outputs: what gets worked on, in what order, and whether it ships.
• Report progress, capacity and blockers to leadership on a regular cadence.
• Manage, coach and retain scientists and lab staff with one-on-ones, clear objectives, performance reviews, and career paths.
• Hire, onboard, and train new team members
• Manage the R&D team by setting roles and responsibilities, establishing best practices, defining KPI, and supporting the growth and development of the team.
• Set internal expectations for validation and verification, and equip team members to communicate their work clearly to verifiers and partners.
• Work closely with the verification technical and project management leads, Technical Operations and Supply Chain to confirm that data is complete and that project timelines and expectations are feasible.
• Prioritize samples across sites and projects, and communicate timelines and blockers to internal stakeholders early.
• With the Technical Solutions lead and process engineers, coordinate the team's bandwidth to evaluate process improvements, and work with the team to execute R&D efforts.
• Develop systems for judging whether a project worked, for internal decisions and external reporting.
• Oversee the product and feedstock characterization program, including turnaround expectations for the teams that depend on it.
• Assist the team in maintaining routine sample processing as a service with clear queues, turnaround expectations and throughput.
• Lead daily lab operations: SOPs, safety and compliance, waste handling, equipment maintenance, sample inventory and tracking, supplies and procurement, and lab space planning as the team grows.
• Set up and maintain goal tracking, progress tracking and review rhythms, with metrics the team uses to steer its own work.
• Keep documentation and onboarding materials current, so other teams can answer routine questions without pulling scientists off their work.

Experience Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in applied scientific research, analytical chemistry, environmental science, geochemistry, or a related discipline.
• 3+ years of direct management experience leading, coaching, and developing scientists or technical research teams.
• Strong foundation in analytical chemistry, laboratory testing methods, and complex environmental or industrial sample analysis.
• Experience managing laboratory operations, including QA/QC, SOPs, equipment, safety, and compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to balance competing research priorities, laboratory operations, and commercial deliverables.
• Experience building and improving scientific processes, performance metrics, and scalable laboratory systems.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills, including presenting scientific findings to executives, technical teams, and external partners.
• Experience managing laboratory budgets, resources, and staffing priorities.
• MS or PhD in Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent senior-level experience considered.

Preferred

• PhD in a relevant scientific discipline, particularly aqueous chemistry, carbonate chemistry, or environmental systems.
• Hands-on experience with ICP-OES/MS, ion chromatography (IC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), or related analytical techniques.
• Experience in wastewater treatment, water chemistry, mineral dissolution, enhanced weathering, or carbon removal MRV.
• Experience building or scaling an R&D or laboratory function in a startup or industrial research environment.
• Familiarity with LIMS, laboratory automation, statistical analysis, and data management systems.
• Experience publishing scientific research, preparing technical reports, or presenting findings to external stakeholders.

Compensation

Compensation at the time of offer is unique to each candidate and based on a variety of factors such as skill set, experience, qualifications, and work location. Salary is one part of the total compensation and benefits package. Other benefits for eligible employees may include: equity through the form of option grants, flexible paid time off, 401(k) plan, well equipped office environment, and health benefits offerings.

The expected base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $160,000. This range represents the company’s estimate for this position at the time of posting however actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, role scope, and business needs.

About the Company

CREW’s technology and services make wastewater treatment cheaper and more efficient, while permanently sequestering CO₂.

Leveraging advanced chemistry, natural minerals, and AI, we’ve developed and are deploying a category-defining process intensification technology, with decarbonization at its core. We are currently deploying this technology across the US and Europe. In addition, we’ve signed $40M+ in carbon removal offtake agreements with leading corporations looking to meet their climate goals, supercharging geographical CREW’s expansion.

CREW has offices and labs in New Haven, CT and offices in Brooklyn, NY.

CREW Insights

• CREW raises $25M of funding to scale wastewater treatment optimization technology as climate solution https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crew-raises-25m-of-funding-to-scale-wastewater-treatment-optimization-technology-as-climate-solution-302772585.html?tc=eml_cleartime
• A climate fix that could cut your water bill (The Wall Street Journal) https://www.wsj.com/finance/investing/a-climate-fix-that-could-cut-your-water-bill-37ba25e8?st=ZR2CD9&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
• Leading U.S. water utility HRSD partners with CREW to deploy process intensification technology (Wastewater Digest) https://www.wwdmag.com/utility-management/news/55364253/hrsd-partners-with-crew-to-deploy-process-intensification-technology-at-norfolk-treatment-plants
• The Colorado Energy Office awards $2.35M to CREW’s wastewater treatment CDR tech (Carbon Herald) https://carbonherald.com/the-colorado-energy-office-awards-2-35m-to-crew-carbon-and-its-wastewater-treatment-cdr-tech/
• CREW signed a carbon credit offtake agreement with the Frontier Climate Fund (Reuters) https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-tech-firms-get-80-million-pull-carbon-paper-mills-sewage-plant-2024-12-17/
• CREW delivers pioneering wastewater alkalinity enhancement credits (Carbon Herald) https://carbonherald.com/crew-carbon-delivers-pioneering-wastewater-alkalinity-enhancement-credits-verified-by-isometric/
• CREW recognized as one of the most promising climate tech startups (Business Insider) https://www.businessinsider.com/most-promising-climate-tech-startups-vcs-2023-10?op=1

Equal Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.