Senior Program Operations Associate, Science (Imaging Institute)

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 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. 

What We Provide

• Resources to collaboratively develop breakthrough biological imaging systems that push the boundaries of what we can see and measure
• An environment where nothing is considered impossible, where bold and creative thinking are the norm, and where a collaborative culture allows teams of people from multiple disciplines to accomplish more than any single person can achieve alone
• Access to collaborators and resources at partner organizations in the CZ Biohub Network and beyond
• Competitive compensation and benefits commensurate with experience

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.

Benefits

We offer a robust benefits program that enables the important work employees do everyday. Our benefits include healthcare coverage, life and disability insurance, commuter subsidies, family planning services with fertility care, childcare stipend, 401(k) match, flexible time off and a generous parental leave policy. In addition, we honor our commitment to career development and our value of scholarly excellence through regular onsite opportunities to learn from the world's leading scientists.

The CZ Biohub Network is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all employees feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. The CZ Biohub Network does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. The CZ Biohub Network will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the CZ Biohub Network.