Lab Operations Manager, Kuiper Workplace Operations (KWO)

Job description

Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite broadband network.

Its mission is to deliver fast, reliable internet to customers and communities around the world, and we’ve designed the system with the capacity, flexibility, and performance to serve a wide range of customers, from individual households to schools, hospitals, businesses, government agencies, and other organizations operating in locations without reliable connectivity.

In this role, you will serve as the Lab Operations Area Manager supporting the end-to-end implementation of Kuiper’s Lab Operations Strategy.

Joining the Kuiper Workplace Operations (KWO) team and reporting into the Sr. Strategy & Implementation Manager, you will own tactical and strategic execution of lab intake, planning, coordination, and closeout processes, ensuring lab launches and upgrades follow consistent, repeatable workflows.

Operating at the strategic level, you will execute the operational infrastructure behind the Lab Program, including intake tracking, change request governance, workback schedules, tooling integration, and process-failure investigations.

Operating at the tactical level, you’ll be supporting daily operations and compliance within a designated lab site or zone.

As the local “air traffic controller,” you will ensure the smooth and safe functioning of lab environments by coordinating layout or equipment changes, driving process updates, and enforcing safety and access protocols.

You’ll be the first line of contact for lab users, supporting service requests and surfacing concerns to the central team.

This role requires a detail-oriented, hands-on leader with strong communication and coordination skills, a bias for structure, and process rigor.

You will partner closely with Design & Construction (D&C), Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), Hardware Engineering, Kuiper Workplace Ops (KWO), Facilities Management (FM) and other stakeholders to ensure programmatic consistency across inflight lab projects.

You’ll track assets and performance metrics, perform regular audits, lead key governance forums, ensure accurate safety and training documentation, and act as a critical link between your local lab environment and the centralized Lab Operations team.


Key job responsibilities
- Support KWO in the end-to-end lab lifecycle process: project intake → execution planning → progress tracking → closeout
- Support lab change request governance, documentation, and tracking mechanisms
- Serve as the first point of contact for lab support requests, intake submissions, and user questions
- Enforce safety protocols, access control, and training compliance within the lab environment
- Lead weekly Lab Ops meetings and feedback loops, gathering / reporting site-specific challenges and driving improvements
- Coordinate layout changes, equipment moves, site visits, and infrastructure upgrades in partnership with D&C and EHS
- Support planned and unplanned lab outages in partnership with FM and internal leadership; schedule flexibility is a must
- Conduct regular lab audits and track local lab metrics related to compliance, usage, and support needs
- Monitor asset condition and report issues or escalations for maintenance or replacement
- Ensure signage, safety plans, and lab records are accurate and up to date
- Proactively remain informed of inflight lab projects and workback schedules, escalating blockers as needed
- Serve as the central liaison for lab tooling, dashboarding, and asset tracking workstreams
- Support rollout and maintenance of Lab Operations Playbooks, training materials, and service catalogs
- Support cross-functional meetings (e.g., with D&C, EHS, IT), ensuring clear notes, follow-ups, and timely execution
- Monitor lab program health metrics and report regularly on progress, risks, and upcoming projects
- Drive continuous improvement of lab operations through process standardization and stakeholder feedback loops
- Maintain a clear line of communication with the central Lab Operations and local leadership teams, surfacing risks, blockers, or improvement ideas

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.

A day in the life
As a Lab Operations Area Manager, you will be responsible for managing the day-to-day execution of lab program processes.

You’ll interface with teams across Kuiper to intake new lab requests and support defining and executing solutions.

You’ll lead the weekly intake board, document decisions and risks, and work to unblock inflight projects.

You’ll also partner with internal tooling teams to ensure dashboards and trackers reflect the latest lab data.

Your structured, proactive approach will help enforce governance, improve visibility, and create repeatable mechanisms that enable lab operations to scale efficiently across teams and locations.

As a Lab Ops SME, you’ll be the operational anchor for a high-velocity and agile workplace.

You might start your day reviewing intake requests and performing a 5S audit.

Mid-morning, you may coordinate a layout reconfiguration with the FM and IT teams, ensuring standards are met and signage is refreshed.

Later, you walk the floor to audit asset conditions, flag a non-compliant test bench, and update the central dashboard with your findings.

Throughout the day, you respond to user questions, submit small tooling requests, and provide input to the central team on what’s working and what’s not.

Your work ensures lab environments are safe, efficient, and user-friendly.


About the team
The Kuiper Workplace Operations (KWO) team manages construction projects, workspace strategy, lab environment programming, and facilities operations for Project Kuiper.

Our mission is to optimize all Facilities operations within Kuiper environments to support high-velocity satellite production.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
- Experience in MS Excel, Word, and Windows Operating Systems
- 5+ years of program or project management experience in facilities, labs, construction or engineering environments
- 5+ years of working cross-functionally with technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong understanding of lab safety protocols and regulatory requirements
- Experience managing complex project schedules and stakeholder coordination
- Experience defining or implementing repeatable operational processes
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience documenting and reporting on program health

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- PMP or similar project management certification
- Experience with Six Sigma, lean manufacturing
- Knowledge of AutoCAD, VBA, and SQL at the intermediate level
- Experience working with and managing third party vendors
- Experience managing lab builds, tech space renovations, or R&D operations
- Experience managing lab builds, tech space renovations, or R&D operations
- Familiarity with asset tracking tools, intake portals, or operational dashboards
- Experience supporting training or onboarding initiatives
- Knowledge of AutoCAD, VBA, and SQL at the intermediate level
- Comfort navigating ambiguity and creating order through tooling or process
- Strong working knowledge of Excel or similar tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Airtable, project trackers)

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers.

Required Skill Profession

Operations Specialties Managers