Lab Director

The Yale Labs Manager is responsible for supporting the operational management, member engagement, business development activities, and day-to-day administration of the incubator and innovation program. This position helps execute strategic initiatives that support startup growth, member success, and community engagement while ensuring alignment with organizational goals and operational standards.

The Manager oversees tenant/member relations, onboarding, facility coordination, events, partnerships, communications, and administrative operations for the incubator program. This role also supports budgeting, reporting, contract administration, and policy implementation while exercising sound judgment in daily operations and member support activities.

Key Responsibilities

Program Operations & Administration

• Support the day-to-day operations of the incubator and coworking/laboratory spaces.
• Assist in implementing operational goals, policies, and procedures established by leadership.
• Coordinate operational processes to ensure a high-quality member experience.
• Monitor occupancy, member activity, and operational performance metrics.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvements and communicate recommendations to leadership.
• Support implementation of strategic initiatives.

Member Recruitment, Onboarding & Retention

• Serve as a primary point of contact for prospective and current member companies.
• Support recruitment efforts to attract startup and entrepreneurial tenants to the incubator program.
• Manage the member onboarding process, including communications, documentation, orientation, and expectation-setting.
• Maintain the membership pipeline and assist with outreach initiatives to increase occupancy and engagement.
• Build positive relationships with tenants and support member retention efforts.
• Coordinate member feedback collection through surveys, meetings, and regular communication.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Assist with planning and coordinating networking events, workshops, educational programming, and community-building activities.
• Represent the incubator program at regional entrepreneurial and life sciences events as assigned.
• Support relationship-building efforts with startup organizations, accelerators, universities, and industry partners.
• Coordinate with service providers and community partners to support member company needs.

Marketing & Communications

• Assist with marketing and outreach initiatives to increase awareness of the incubator program.
• Support website updates, social media engagement, newsletters, and promotional materials.
• Help coordinate media opportunities, public relations activities, and program communications.
• Maintain consistent messaging and communication standards across member and community outreach activities.

Financial & Contract Administration

• Support budget tracking and administrative financial processes for the program.
• Assist with management of rental agreements, invoicing, payment tracking, and related documentation.
• Maintain records related to contracts, member agreements, and operational reporting.
• Support preparation of quarterly reports, presentations, and operational updates for leadership review.
• Coordinate procedures related to payment follow-up and reporting.

Policy & Program Support

• Assist with implementation and maintenance of program policies and procedures.
• Support compliance with operational standards, member agreements, and facility requirements.
• Conduct research and gather feedback to support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Help document operational workflows and best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, life sciences, public administration, entrepreneurship, or related field preferred.
• Experience in program coordination, incubator operations, coworking management, business development, or startup ecosystem support preferred.
• Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with budgeting, contracts, customer service, and administrative operations preferred.
• Knowledge of biotech, life sciences, startup ecosystems, or innovation programs is highly desirable.

Position Characteristics

• Collaborative and service-oriented leadership style.
• Strong operational and project coordination abilities.
• Ability to work independently while supporting executive leadership initiatives.
• Comfortable engaging with entrepreneurs, industry leaders, research organizations, and community stakeholders.