Senior Engineer Operational Excellence

Position: Senior Engineer Operational Excellence #4891
Durham, NCResearch & Development – Lab Operations /On-site

Our mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. We are working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care.

We are a healthcare company, pioneering new technologies to advance early cancer detection. We have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and we are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS), population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges.

GRAIL is headquartered in the Bay Area of California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies.

For more information, please visit grail.comThe Senior Engineer, Operational Excellence will support continuous improvement initiatives within our sequencing-based cancer screening operations. This role will work at the intersection of data, process, and operations to enhance efficiency, quality, and scalability across laboratory and operational workflows. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, data-savvy, and experienced in Lean methodologies, with a strong inclination toward solving complex operational problems through structured analysis and experimentation.

This role works on-site full-time at our office located in Durham, NC Responsibilities:

Operational Data & Reporting
   Develop and maintain operational dashboards and visualizations to track performance across workflows

Support generation and automation of KPI reporting, ensuring data integrity and usability

Collaborate with stakeholders to refine metrics and improve visibility into operational performance

Process Analysis & Monitoring
   Perform data exploration and statistical analysis to identify trends, variation, and potential process deviations

Apply Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Quality Control (QC) methods to monitor and improve process stability

Identify leading indicators of performance issues and recommend proactive interventions

Continuous Improvement Execution
   Execute and support Lean initiatives, including 5S, Kaizen events, and Six Sigma projects

Conduct root cause analyses (e.g., 5 Whys, Fishbone) and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs)
Partner with operations teams to pilot, measure, and scale process improvements

Issue Tracking & Prioritization Support
   Capture and document operational issues, risks, and improvement opportunities

Maintain structured tracking systems (e.g., backlogs, ticketing tools) for visibility and accountability

Lead prioritization of improvement efforts in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders

Cross-Functional Collaboration
   Work closely with Operations, Engineering, Software, and Product teams to implement process improvements

Translate operational needs into clear requirements for technical teams

Provide feedback loops to ensure solutions effectively address root causes

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Industrial Engineering, or related field6+ years of experience in process engineering, operations, or continuous improvement roles, ideally in biotech, diagnostics, or manufacturing

Working knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen methodologies (certification a plus)

Experience with data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, SQL, Python, Tableau, Power BI)
Familiarity with SPC/QC tools and statistical analysis techniques

Strong problem-solving skills with attention to detail and data accuracy

Effective communicator with…