Manager Lab Operations Jobs in Santa Monica, CA (NOW HIRING)

Amazon Leo is Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite network. Our mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet connectivity to customers beyond the reach of existing networks. From individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, and government agencies, Amazon Leo will serve people and organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.
We are seeking an experienced Development Lab Infrastructure Manager to lead the design, coordination, and delivery of R&D building infrastructure projects within the Development Lab Operations (DLO) organization

In this role, you will be responsible for planning and executing lab infrastructure buildouts, upgrades, and modifications that enable advanced satellite testing and development programs-ensuring that facilities, utilities, and supporting systems are delivered on time, within budget, and to the standards required by mission-critical R&D operations.
As the Development Lab Infrastructure Manager, you will bring strong project management expertise and technical knowledge of building systems and lab infrastructure to drive seamless project delivery in a fast-paced, engineering-driven environment. You will lead infrastructure design efforts, coordinate construction and commissioning activities, and work hand-in-hand with the R&D Maintenance team to ensure smooth transitions from project delivery to ongoing operations and sustainment.
This role requires a proactive leader who can translate R&D requirements into actionable infrastructure designs, manage complex cross-functional projects from concept through commissioning, and build strong partnerships across engineering, maintenance, facilities, and vendor teams. You will serve as the primary point of coordination between project delivery and maintenance operations, ensuring that all new infrastructure is designed for reliability, maintainability, and operational readiness from day one.
Export Control Requirement: Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S

citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Key job responsibilities
Lead end-to-end design, planning, and delivery of R&D lab infrastructure projects-new lab buildouts, facility modifications, equipment installations, and utility expansions-managing multiple concurrent projects from concept through commissioning and turnover.
Drive infrastructure design for lab utility systems (electrical, chilled water, compressed air, vacuum, LN2, specialty gas), ensuring designs meet Basis of Design standards and R&D operational requirements.
Develop standardized project delivery playbooks, design templates, and commissioning protocols to enable repeatable execution at scale.
Work closely alongside the Maintenance Manager and Maintenance Lead to ensure projects are designed for maintainability and reliability; coordinate project-to-operations handoffs including as-built documentation, O&M manuals, and critical spares recommendations.
Work closely alongside the Facilities Manager to align projects with facility strategies and campus planning.
Partner with R&D engineering teams to define infrastructure requirements; serve as primary project liaison between program stakeholders, design engineers, maintenance, and vendors.
Track and manage project-level OpEx/CapEx budgets; develop business cases for infrastructure investments supporting R&D growth.
Manage vendor and contractor activities including scope development, bid evaluation, contract administration, and performance oversight ensuring quality, compliance, and minimal disruption.
Maintain comprehensive project documentation and drive continuous improvement through post-project reviews and lessons learned.
About the team
Development Lab Operations (DLO)
Development Lab Operations owns the design, delivery, maintenance, and operational readiness of R&D laboratory infrastructure supporting satellite development programs

The team ensures mission-critical test environments-thermal vacuum, environmental, RF, and specialized aerospace platforms-remain operational and scalable to meet rapid hardware development demands. DLO's scope spans infrastructure project delivery, preventative and predictive maintenance, utility systems, equipment commissioning, and critical spares sustainment across a multi-site portfolio, partnering directly with R&D engineering to translate development requirements into reliable lab environments.