Research Equipment Lead - Cambridge, MA

Why Join Us? · Parabilis Medicines is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to creating extraordinary medicines that unlock high-impact protein targets long-considered undruggable. The company has developed a new class of stabilized, cell-penetrant alpha-helical pe ...

Job description

Why Join Us?

Parabilis Medicines is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to creating extraordinary medicines that unlock high-impact protein targets long-considered undruggable. The company has developed a new class of stabilized, cell-penetrant alpha-helical peptides – Helicons – capable of modulating intracellular proteins that are inaccessible to traditional drug modalities. 

Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Parabilis is advancing a focused pipeline of multiple first-in-class therapies across both rare and common cancers. Its lead candidate, FOG-001, is the first direct inhibitor of the interaction between β-catenin and the T-cell factor (TCF) family of transcription factors, implicated in colorectal cancer, desmoid tumors, and a range of other Wnt/β-catenin-driven tumors. Parabilis is also advancing investigational degraders of ERG and ARON for the treatment of prostate cancer, as well as other preclinical programs. 

What's the opportunity?

The Research Equipment Lead is responsible for enabling Parabilis' cutting-edge research by ensuring laboratory equipment is strategically selected, optimally configured, highly reliable, and continuously improving. This role owns the full lifecycle of research instrumentation and partners closely with Research, Finance, Facilities, IT, Quality, and external vendors to minimize downtime, enable automation, and support scalable, reproducible science.

This position requires deep and broad technical expertise across research equipment platforms, strong operational rigor, and the ability to integrate automation, data, and AI-driven approaches into lab operations. The Research Equipment Lead plays a critical role in aligning equipment strategy with scientific roadmaps, growth plans, and financial and regulatory requirements.

Equipment Lifecycle & Operational Excellence

• Own the full lifecycle of research equipment, from needs assessment and acquisition through installation, operation, maintenance, and retirement, ensuring high availability and performance across research groups.
• Oversee day-to-day equipment operations, including troubleshooting, repairs, and preventive maintenance programs to minimize downtime and disruption to research.
• Lead installation, qualification, validation, and calibration of laboratory instruments in coordination with vendors, Facilities, IT, and internal stakeholders, applying continuous improvement principles.
• Maintain comprehensive, audit-ready documentation, including equipment inventories, maintenance logs, calibration records, service contracts, and validation documentation, in alignment with internal policies and applicable regulatory expectations.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) for equipment reliability, utilization, and downtime.

Training, Partnership & Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for equipment-related issues across research labs.
• Develop and deliver technical training to ensure safe, effective, and compliant use of laboratory instruments.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Research, Facilities, IT, Quality, Procurement, and Finance to ensure seamless equipment support and alignment.
• Manage vendor relationships, including service agreements, performance reviews, and escalation of technical issues.

Equipment Strategy, Automation & Capital Planning

• Partner with R&D leadership to forecast equipment, automation, and digital infrastructure needs aligned with scientific strategy, growth plans, and budget constraints.
• Collaborate with Finance on capital planning, asset tracking, depreciation, and accounting requirements for research equipment.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, automation platforms, and AI-enabled tools; recommend capital investments that improve efficiency, scalability, data quality, and reproducibility.
• Identify opportunities to implement laboratory automation, robotics, and software-driven workflows, including the use of AI or data analytics to optimize equipment performance, scheduling, predictive maintenance, and experimental throughput.
• Contribute to the design or customization of novel or integrated instrumentation solutions to support next-generation research.

What you'll need to be successful:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant hands-on experience supporting and maintaining complex research laboratory equipment across multiple scientific functions.
• Demonstrated expertise in equipment lifecycle management, preventive maintenance programs, and vendor coordination.
• Working knowledge of relevant scientific, engineering, operational, safety, and regulatory principles applicable to research laboratories.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and documentation rigor.
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience implementing laboratory automation, robotics, or digitally enabled workflows.
• Familiarity with AI- or data-driven approaches to equipment monitoring, utilization, or predictive maintenance.
• Experience partnering with Finance on capital equipment planning, budgeting, and accounting processes preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize AI tools for day-to-day work; baseline proficiency is expected, and advanced or innovated use of AI is a strong plus
• Able to work on-site and attend in-person meetings

Core Values

Parabilis is a team of passionate pioneers who are trailblazing the future of precision medicine with the aim of making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. The company is committed to promoting an inspiring and flourishing working environment for all employees across the business, in all departments, and driving innovation for patient benefit.

• Growth-Minded. We're inventing a new class of medicines—one applicable to therapeutic targets that have been dreamt about, but always considered impossible to drug. Our work requires us to be curious, humble and adaptable.
• In(ter)dependent.We are fiercely independent as a leader in defying the limitations of current therapeutic modalities, and interdependent as a team as we work collaboratively to shift drug discovery paradigms and provide patients with better treatment options.
• Patient-focused.We are deeply focused on patient outcomes, and all energy in the company is focused on science as it translates to patient impact.
• All-In.We're All-In on solving some of the hardest scientific challenges and delivering one of the most effective new classes of drugs in history.

The base salary range for this position is $86,000-$110,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and internal practices. Parabilis's total compensation package also includes an annual target bonus, equity, and a comprehensive suite of competitive benefits designed to support our employees' overall well-being.

As an equal opportunity employer, Parabilis values an inclusive workplace and welcomes applicants of all backgrounds and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.