Senior Director, Data Services Laboratory | Life Sciences

Galatek Life Sciences is launching a data‑generation laboratory in Boston to support AI‑enabled drug discovery. This founding role owns the lab end‑to‑end—from build‑out to production operations, assay development, quality standards, customer delivery, and team leadership.

Company: Galatek Life Sciences

Travel: Up to 20%

Reports To: VP, North America

Base Salary: $185,000 – $225,000 (Depending on experience)

You will establish and run Galatek’s Boston data‑generation lab. Year one focuses on taking the lab from an empty bench to a fully operational production environment delivering reproducible datasets on schedule. You will serve as the scientific lead for customers and the technical bridge to our partner lab in China.

Galatek builds next-generation laboratory automation platforms designed for scale, reliability, and AI-enabled workflows. By joining us, you will play a critical role in establishing our flagship data‑generation capability in North America, bridging wet‑lab execution with modern computational biology.

Galatek Life Sciences is launching a premier data‑generation laboratory in Boston to support AI-enabled drug discovery. As a founding leader, you will own this lab end‑to‑end—from initial build‑out through to production operations, assay development, quality standards, customer delivery, and team leadership.

Year one focuses on taking the Boston facility from an empty bench to a fully operational production environment delivering highly reproducible datasets on schedule, while serving as the primary scientific bridge to our international partner lab.

• Design, equip, and commission the Boston lab (layout, utilities, equipment procurement, vendor contracts).
• Own production workflows: configuration, validation, uptime, preventive maintenance, and engineering improvements.
• Establish EHS and biosafety programs; ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Implement SOPs, LIMS-based sample tracking, and data pipelines for reproducible, traceable datasets.

• Build and validate core assays: recombinant protein expression, purification, quantification, and biophysical characterization (BLI, SPR, thermal stability).
• Execute customer projects end‑to‑end (intake through QC to final data delivery).
• Scale throughput and optimize costs through automated workflows and process refinement.

• Define assay quality standards: controls, replicates, acceptance criteria, metadata, and reporting formats suitable for ML model training.
• Deliver structured datasets with full metadata and QC documentation; handle customer data inquiries.
• Harmonize protocols, controls, reference standards, and data formats with our partner lab in China.
• Plan capacity and strategically route projects between Boston and China.

• Support business development with technical scoping, feasibility, assay selection, study design, pricing inputs, proposals, and SOWs.
• Present capabilities and results to customer scientific and ML teams; lead technical calls and site visits.
• Execute pilot studies designed to convert into recurring programs.
• Hire, train, and manage the lab team; establish performance goals, schedules, and career development plans.
• Uphold rigorous standards for safety, scientific excellence, and documentation.

• PhD in Biochemistry, Protein Science, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or related field with 10+ years of industry experience;
  OR
  MS with 15+ years of industry experience.
• 5+ years of experience leading and managing a scientific or laboratory team.
• Hands‑on expertise in recombinant protein expression/purification and biophysical…