Facilities Operations Manager

The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution conducting curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include:

• Technology:
  Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators.
• Support:
  Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
• Funding:
  Arc fully funds Core Investigators’ (PIs’) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants.
• Culture:
  We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration.

Arc has scaled to nearly 300 people to date. With $650M+ in committed funding and a state of the art new lab facility in Palo Alto, Arc will continue to grow quickly to several hundred in the coming years.

About the position

The Facilities Operations Manager oversees daily operations and maintenance of building systems and workplace services at Arc Institute. This role requires strong technical expertise in building engineering systems combined with customer-focused service delivery, with a focus on maintaining laboratory and research environments. The manager will ensure reliable facility operations, coordinate maintenance activities, manage workplace amenities, and support the organization’s scientific mission through effective facilities management.

About you

• Technical depth meets practical leadership:
  You have strong engineering fundamentals and hands‑on experience with building systems, and you’re equally skilled at managing teams, vendors, and complex projects.
• Adaptable communicator and collaborator:
  You navigate diverse stakeholder needs, from technical discussions with contractors to understanding what end‑users actually need from their workspace.
• You’re genuinely invested in how people experience their workspace. You understand that a well‑maintained facility isn’t just infrastructure—it directly enables our researchers to do their best work, and you take pride in making that possible.

In this position you will:

Operations & Maintenance Management

• Manage day‑to‑day operations of all building systems including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and building automation systems
• Execute preventive maintenance programs and coordinate corrective maintenance activities
• Monitor and optimize building systems performance, with special attention to laboratory environmental conditions
• Respond to and resolve facility emergencies and system failures
• Maintain accurate records in CMMS and ensure documentation compliance

Workplace Services & Customer Support

• Serve as escalation point and overseer of contact for facility service requests and work order management
• Oversee and assist in planning of office moves, reconfigurations, and desk/workspace assignments
• Manage building amenities including break rooms, common areas, conference rooms, wellness rooms, and shower facilities
• Monitor and maintain high satisfaction levels with facility services and amenities
• Develop and track service level agreements (SLAs) for facility request response times
• Conduct regular walkthroughs to proactively identify facility needs and improvements
• Gather and act on occupant feedback regarding workplace environment and…