Senior Program Operations Associate, Science

The Team

To develop a dynamic, integrated view of biological systems in health and disease, the Chan Zuckerberg Institute for Advanced Biological Imaging (CZ Imaging Institute) aims to push forward the development and application of new imaging technologies over the next 10 to 15 years. CZ Imaging Institute researchers will collaboratively develop breakthrough biological imaging systems centered around grand challenges that push the boundaries of what we can see and measure to obtain deep insights into the architecture of complex biological systems at the molecular level.

As an extension of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s Imaging program, the CZ Imaging Institute (https://czii.org/) will create breakthrough technologies — hardware, software, biological probes, data, and platforms — that will be made available to the scientific community and adopted worldwide through a combination of direct access to the Institute, open sharing of advances, and commercial partnerships.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Science Program Operations Associate to organize and support the coordination, planning, and record keeping of programmatic activities in a dynamic scientific environment. This role will be instrumental in enabling efficient operations across research programs, scientific collaborations, and cross-functional initiatives. The ideal candidate brings strong project management skills, operational acumen, domain knowledge, and a passion for supporting science and innovation.

What You'll Do

• Program Coordination: Support day-to-day operations of scientific programs, including record keeping of timelines, workflows, deliverables, and achievements, as well as bottlenecks and obstacles
• Meeting calendars and minutes: Manage team meeting agendas and calendars and ensure assigned speakers are well informed before each meeting. Take minutes of each team meeting.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Work closely with scientists, program managers, and external partners to ensure aligned execution of planned projects.
• Papers and Publications: Maintain records of scientific papers, submittals, and publications.
• Meetings and Conferences: Track team member attendance of scientific meetings to ensure equitable allocation of development opportunities and budget expenditures.
• Grants & Collaboration Support: Assist in grants administration and institutional collaborations, including application intake, budget tracking, and contract coordination and execution follow-up.
• Program Event Support: Coordinate logistics for program meetings, scientific convenings, or site visits, including scheduling, agendas, and follow-up documentation.
• Documentation and Knowledge Management: Ensure accurate and up-to-date records of program processes, decisions, and outcomes in shared repositories. Maintain organized and up-to-date documentation in shared systems (e.g., project management tools, shared drives).

What You'll Bring

Essential - 

• Bachelor’s degree in life science
• 3+ year’s experience in program operations, project management, program coordination, ideally in research, non-profit, academic, or scientific setting
• Exceptional organizational skills with a keen eye for detail, and a proactive mind-set
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Able to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt in an evolving environment
• Experience or exposure to research in microscopy and imaging
• Collaborative team player with a service-oriented attitude
• Use of AI to help streamline work

Nice to have -

• Experience supporting or working alongside scientists, researchers, or technical program leads
• Understanding of operational needs in a laboratory, academic, or research-driven environment
• Experience supporting multi-stakeholder collaborations or scientific consortia.
• Domain knowledge of CryoEM or CryoET

Compensation

The Redwood City, CA base pay range for a new hire in this role is $106,000.00 - $146,000.00. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. 

Benefits for the Whole You 

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

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