Lab Materials Manager

Forge Your Future with Us: 

 

At Forge Biologics, we believe in turning bold ideas into life-changing realities. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to enable access to life-changing gene therapies and help bring them from ideas into reality. We partner with scientists, physicians, biotech and pharma innovators, and patient communities — all united by one goal: improving lives. If you’re driven by purpose and excited to make a tangible impact, this is where your journey begins. 

Our team works out of The Hearth, a state-of-the-art, 200,000-square-foot cGMP facility in Columbus, Ohio. Here, you won’t just watch innovation happen — you’ll be part of it. Whether you’re scaling AAV manufacturing, collaborating on cutting-edge therapies, or supporting complex technical projects, you’ll play a key role in bringing hope to patients with genetic diseases. 

What sets Forge apart is our culture of H.O.P.E. We are hardworking, showing up each day with determination and grit. We are open, creating a space where ideas flow freely and every voice is valued. We are purpose-driven, with every task directly tied to changing lives. And we are engaged, energized by the challenges we face and the milestones we achieve together. 

At Forge, your growth matters. We’re committed to helping you expand your skills, take on new challenges, and develop your career through mentorship, hands-on learning, and opportunities for advancement. Our people are our greatest investment, and we’re proud to see team members grow with us. 

 If you’re ready to use your talent to help deliver hope to patients around the world, join us — and be part of something bigger than yourself. 

  

About The Role:   

We are currently seeking a Lab Materials Manager, Supply Chain to join the Forge Biologics team. The Lab Materials Manager, Supply Chain will directly contribute to the strategic, operational, and supply chain activities required to support our Laboratory programs and vision. The Lab Materials Manager will have oversight of laboratory inventory and will be responsible for coordination of teams in synergy with all internal groups to ensure schedule attainment for our internal and external clients. This role will manage Inventory levels and flow for both internal and external gene therapy programs. The candidate will utilize existing material handling methods as well as being responsible for leading a team responsible for material handling needs for all laboratory teams. The ideal candidate will have experience in modern supply chain methodologies, inventory management systems, be highly organized, have previous management experience, be able to use or willing to learn to operate industrial equipment (For example lift trucks, reach trucks, fork lifts, order pickers, etc), and able to prioritize their schedule to meet the needs of internal and external customers. 

 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and implement inventory strategies that align with the Laboratory’s overall goals and objectives.  

• Collaborate with multiple R&D and Lab teams to ensure appropriate levels of inventory to support product development, manufacturing, and distribution requirements. 

• Identify opportunities for Inventory optimization and efficiency improvements within the Laboratory supply chain. Implement best practices and innovative solutions to enhance overall supply chain performance. 

• Robust data analysis of demand and usage to identify optimal stocking levels in the labs, warehouse, and with alignment with financial and business initiatives. 

• Oversee the logistics and distribution processes of moving materials to the labs, including transportation, warehousing, and order fulfillment.  

• Works directly with Laboratory personnel to ensure process communications are occurring in a timely manner and budget and timelines are being adhered to. 

• Work with the processes and systems that support material handling activities including receiving, storing, labeling, controlling, re-stocking laboratory products or materials. 

• Manages the materials space requirement plan and inventory plan in concert with the operational schedules in partnership with the Demand Plan and Planning Team. 

• Use forecasting data to help drive procurement decisions with the Procurement team, ensure adequate inventory levels, and prevent supply shortages. 

• Contributes to the SMOG (Slow Moving/Obsolete Goods) program and coordinates disposition with Forge partners to maximize inventory valuation 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of supply chain professionals. Foster a collaborative and results-oriented team culture. 

• Lead a team within the Supply Operations Warehouse team, and act as liaison between management and the team 

• Coordinating with other workers to resolve discrepancies between inventory and ERP transactions. Including mentoring and training new associates how to identify and resolve independently. 

• Performing extensive research on a wide range of inventory-related reports 

• Creating and utilizing advanced inventory reporting to optimize warehouse operations 

• Leading discussions with Supply Chain and other groups to ensure adequate inventory levels are maintained throughout the Research & Development inventory streams 

 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field. MBA or advanced supply chain certification is a plus. Additional Years of experience may substitute for this requirement.