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Fab Lab Manager Jobs in Massachusetts (NOW HIRING)

Senior Plumbing Estimator

Randolph, MA · On-site

$125K - $150K/yr

Manage multiple concurrent estimates with tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy and quality ... Proficiency in On-Screen Takeoff, CostX, FAB EST or Timberline/Sage Estimating * Prior experience ...

... fab floor or formulation lab and the company's product portfolio. The PM owns the 'now': ensuring ... Manage product line profit analysis andlead cross-functional teams to deliverportfolio ...

Fab Lab Manager information

See Massachusetts salary details

$35.5K

$100.4K

$162.7K

How much do fab lab manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for fab lab manager in Massachusetts is $100,432.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $76,400.00 and $121,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a fab manager?

A Fab Lab Manager oversees the operations of a fabrication laboratory, coordinating equipment, safety protocols, and project workflows. They often require technical skills in digital fabrication tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines, as well as management and safety training. The role involves maintaining equipment, supporting users, and ensuring a productive environment for innovation and learning.

What does a Fab Lab Manager do?

A Fab Lab Manager oversees the daily operations of a Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab), ensuring that equipment such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines are maintained and accessible. They provide training, supervise users, and support innovation by assisting with design and prototyping. Additionally, they manage inventory, enforce safety protocols, and often collaborate on educational or community projects. Their role bridges technology, education, and creativity to foster hands-on learning and development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Fab Lab Manager position, and why are they important?

A successful Fab Lab Manager requires strong technical expertise in digital fabrication, prototyping, and equipment maintenance, typically supported by experience in engineering, design, or a related field. Familiarity with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines, and knowledge of safety protocols and makerspace management systems is essential. Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and teaching skills help them effectively support users and foster a collaborative environment. These abilities are crucial for ensuring lab safety, maximizing resource utilization, and nurturing innovation among diverse users.

How much do laboratory managers make in the US?

Laboratory managers in the US typically earn between $60,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and industry. In specialized settings like fabrication labs or tech environments, salaries can be higher, especially with relevant certifications and technical skills.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Fab Lab Manager?

A Fab Lab Manager's daily responsibilities often include maintaining and troubleshooting digital fabrication equipment, overseeing lab safety protocols, and providing technical assistance or training to lab users. They also manage inventory of materials and tools, coordinate schedules for classes or group projects, and may develop workshops or community outreach initiatives. Collaboration with faculty, students, and external partners is common to support multidisciplinary innovation and learning. This dynamic role requires adaptability and strong organizational skills to ensure the smooth operation of the lab each day.

What is the highest paying job in a laboratory?

In a laboratory setting, senior roles such as Laboratory Director or Chief Scientific Officer typically have the highest salaries, often exceeding six figures annually. These positions require extensive experience, advanced degrees, and leadership skills, and they oversee laboratory operations, research, and compliance.

Is lab manager a stressful job?

A lab manager role can be stressful due to responsibilities such as overseeing equipment, managing staff, and ensuring safety protocols. The level of stress often depends on the size of the lab, workload, and deadlines, but strong organizational and communication skills help manage these pressures.
What are the most commonly searched types of Fab Lab jobs in Massachusetts? The most popular types of Fab Lab jobs in Massachusetts are:
What job categories do people searching Fab Lab Manager jobs in Massachusetts look for? The top searched job categories for Fab Lab Manager jobs in Massachusetts are:
What cities in Massachusetts are hiring for Fab Lab Manager jobs? Cities in Massachusetts with the most Fab Lab Manager job openings:
Infographic showing various Fab Lab Manager job openings in Massachusetts as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% Locum Tenens, 85% Full Time, 11% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $100,432 per year, or $48.3 per hour.

Mechanical Shop & Lab Manager

Reframe Systems

Andover, MA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 5 days ago


Job description

About Us
Reframe Systems is a Physical AI and robotics company on a mission to make high-performance housing attainable and abundant in the communities where people want to live. Through our vertically integrated delivery model and highly automated microfactories, we deliver climate-resilient homes and buildings with greater speed and predictability than traditional construction.
Our volumetric modular buildings are produced in our Andover, MA microfactory, with a growing pipeline across North America and a new microfactory on the way in Billerica, MA. We are building a system that balances repeatability with site-responsive design, enabling homes adaptable to each site, community, and customer need. Our cross-disciplinary team brings together architecture, robotics, design engineering, software, factory operations, and field delivery to change how housing gets delivered.
We're reimagining the future of housing through a smarter and more sustainable system that empowers people to live better. Come build it with us.
What We're Looking For
We're looking for a Mechanical Shop & Lab Manager to own FAB1's machine shop, a fully equipped space with mills, lathes, laser cutters, welding equipment, and 3D printers that supports engineering and prototyping across the company. This is a hands-on, full-time role for someone who wants a shop to actually be theirs: maintaining the equipment, running point on tooling and consumables, and building a real training program so employees across the company can get certified on machines safely and confidently.
What You'll Do
  • Own the Space: Be the single point of accountability for the machine shop and lab - layout, organization, cleanliness, and day-to-day operations.
  • Maintain the Equipment: Run preventive maintenance schedules, troubleshoot and repair machine issues, and manage relationships with service vendors and suppliers.
  • Manage Tooling and Consumables: Track inventory, reorder consumables before they run out, and make purchasing decisions on new tooling and equipment.
  • Formalize Training and Access: Help build structured trainings so employees can safely get checked out on mills, lathes, laser cutters, welding, 3D printing, and other equipment. Define who's allowed to use what, and enforce it.
  • Set the Safety Standard: Establish and enforce shop safety protocols - PPE requirements, machine-specific safety procedures, emergency procedures - and keep the space compliant and audit-ready.
  • Make the Shop Accessible: Act as the go-to resource for anyone in the company who wants to use the space, from experienced engineers to first-timers, and remove the friction that currently keeps people out.
  • Support Projects: Develop functional electro-mechanical prototypes, fixture-building, and fabrication for active FAB1 projects when shop operations allow.

Qualifications
  • 3+ years of hands-on experience in a machine shop, fab shop, or similar environment.
  • Deep working knowledge of mills, lathes, laser cutters, welding, and 3D printing - comfortable both operating and maintaining this equipment.
  • Experience training others on shop equipment and safety procedures, or strong instinct for how to build that kind of program from scratch.
  • Highly organized, with a track record of bringing structure to a space that didn't have it.
  • Comfortable owning a space independently - this role has a lot of autonomy and needs someone who takes initiative rather than waiting for direction.
  • Strong communicator who can set and hold boundaries on safety and access without being a bottleneck.

Nice to Have
  • Experience managing a shop, lab, or makerspace in an academic, startup, or industrial setting.
  • Background in mechanical design or fabrication (can read drawings, build fixtures, support prototyping).
  • Familiarity with tool/inventory management systems.
  • OSHA or equivalent safety certification experience.