Lab Operations Manager

About Etched

Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.

Job Summary

Etched is looking for a Lab Operations Manager to own the day-to-day operational backbone of our Platforms Validation lab. This is a hands-on operational role reporting to the Head of Lab Operations, responsible for everything between hardware arriving at our dock and engineers running it in a rack - board intake and serialization, request tracking and prioritization, rework coordination, physical lab infrastructure, equipment commissioning, inventory management, safety compliance, and end-to-end workflow execution. You will work alongside Lead Technicians and coordinate with Test Operators, Engineering Technicians, Rework Technicians, and Mechanical Technicians, and will interface closely with the Head of Lab Operations and the Head of Platform Validation Engineering to ensure lab operations are aligned with engineering priorities and program schedules.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in lab or infrastructure operations and the operational rigor to build and maintain the systems that keep a fast-moving hardware lab running, including accurate inventory tracking, intake and triage of engineering requests, equipment lifecycle management, and the technical depth to engage meaningfully with hardware validation workflows such as reading schematics, understanding bring-up sequences, and coordinating PCB rework activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lab Operations & Board Flow

  • Own end-to-end board flow: incoming serialization, rework coordination, mechanical assembly, screening, and rack integration.

  • Serve as the central point of contact for hardware resource allocation, developmental server assignments, and board status tracking.

  • Maintain a live status tracker for all boards in-flight across lab stages; communicate status and risks to engineering and program leadership.

  • Drive rework prioritization in coordination with validation engineers; coordinate rework technicians and interface with rework partners.

• Request Intake & Tracking

  • Own the intake process for all lab operations requests from engineering - triage, prioritize, and assign work to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

  • Maintain accurate, real-time tracking of all active requests, board statuses, and task queues using project management tools (Jira, Wrike, or similar).

  • Provide regular status updates and reporting to the Head of Lab Operations and engineering stakeholders.

  • Identify recurring request patterns and propose process improvements to reduce turnaround time.

• Physical Lab Infrastructure & Safety

  • Receive, commission, and stand up incoming lab equipment - instruments, servers, benches, fixtures, and rack systems.

  • Maintain equipment health, calibration records, and maintenance schedules across the lab.

  • Own equipment ordering, shipping, and receiving; negotiate with suppliers and manage vendor relationships.

  • Collaborate with site services and facilities to maintain and improve physical lab infrastructure to support system deployments.

  • Coordinate rack build scheduling; prepare lab areas to streamline installation and deployment.

  • Own lab safety programs: enforce ESD protocols, maintain safety documentation, conduct regular audits, and ensure compliance with environmental health and safety (EH&S) standards.

  • Manage chemical, material, and consumable inventories; ensure proper storage, labeling, and disposal procedures.

• Inventory Management

  • Build and maintain a comprehensive inventory system for all lab assets - boards, equipment, fixtures, cables, consumables, and spares.

  • Track asset locations, conditions, and lifecycle status; flag end-of-life or low-stock items proactively.

  • Manage procurement workflows for lab supplies and equipment; maintain relationships with suppliers and ensure timely fulfillment.

  • Conduct periodic physical inventory audits and reconcile against system records.

• Process & Cross-Functional Coordination

  • Define, document, and continuously improve lab operational processes from receipt through system integration.

  • Identify and escalate workflow bottlenecks with structured mitigation proposals.

  • Work closely with validation engineers, electrical engineers, firmware engineers, and program managers to maintain clear understanding of lab priorities and design requirements.

  • Support system validation test activities where relevant - including understanding schematics, coordinating PCB rework, and supporting measurement setups.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field, or equivalent hands-on experience in a lab or hardware operations environment.

• 5+ years of experience in lab operations, test operations, hardware infrastructure, or a related field; including at least 1–2 years in a coordination or lead role.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain operational tracking systems - inventory databases, request queues, status dashboards - and keep them accurate under pressure.

• Technical depth sufficient to engage with hardware validation workflows - ability to read schematics, understand PCB-level debug concepts, and coordinate rework activities.

• Strong cross-functional communication skills; comfortable interfacing with engineers, managers, vendors, and site services.

• Experience owning physical infrastructure: equipment ordering, commissioning, calibration, and facilities coordination.

• Working knowledge of lab safety practices, including ESD handling, chemical storage, and general EH&S compliance.

• Proficiency with project tracking tools (Jira, spreadsheets, or similar) for status and workflow management.

• Ability to work independently, manage ambiguity, and operate with high ownership in a fast-moving environment.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Background in semiconductor, AI hardware, or data center infrastructure.

• Experience at a hardware startup where operational processes were built from scratch.

• Familiarity with bring-up, validation, or screening workflows for complex PCBs or ASICs.

• Experience managing external vendor or contract relationships (rework houses, mechanical assembly partners, facilities contractors).

• Proficiency with asset management or inventory tracking software.

• Proficiency with Figma, Google Drive, or similar tools for lab documentation and site planning.

• Experience with high-tech construction or lab buildout project management.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage

  • $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits

• Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office

• Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)

• Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more

• Daily lunch and dinner in our office

• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

How we’re different

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system, betting early on transformer and transformer-like architectures and on increasing model sizes. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.

We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.