Laboratory Operations Manager - Sporting Goods

We're building a hands‑on test lab here in Baton Rouge to validate performance and safety across our growing range of sports hardgoods, and we're looking for someone to own it.

This isn't an academic or back‑room QA role. You'll run the lab day to day, from setting up and calibrating equipment to defining test protocols and feeding clear, actionable data straight into our product development process. You'll sit close to our product and design teams, helping them make faster, better‑informed decisions using real‑world performance and durability data.

• Owning day‑to‑day lab operations, equipment, SOPs and sample flow. Developing and refining test methods for our core categories like bats and protective equipment, translating standards such as ASTM and NOCSAE into practical internal procedures.
• Running test programmes, analysing results and turning them into reports the wider team can act on.
• Working closely with product, design, sourcing and ops, and helping shape capital planning as the lab scales.

• 3‑8+ years in a physical test lab environment, ideally sporting goods, protective equipment or adjacent fields such as helmets, footwear, outdoor equipment or automotive components.
• Hands‑on experience with mechanical or impact testing (drop tests, fatigue, durability, environmental conditioning). A track record of owning test methods rather than just running someone else's scripts.
• Comfortable moving between the bench and the laptop. A relevant engineering or materials science degree is a plus, but strong lab experience counts for just as much.

This is a builder's role in a scrappy, high‑growth environment, and you'll help define what the lab becomes as we scale.

Based full‑time in Baton Rouge, with occasional travel to factories and partner sites.

If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.