Team Lead, Materials Management

The Materials Management Lead is responsible for overseeing daily warehouse operations, ensuring efficient material flow from receiving to storage to production staging. This role manages inventory accuracy, warehouse task assignments and completion, team performance, and continuous improvement across all material‑handling processes. This is a full-time, non-exempt position located at our corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA.

Responsibilities :
• Lead end-to-end materials management operations, ensuring seamless receipt, storage, release, picking, kitting, and packing of manufacturing materials and final drug products.

• Conduct daily inventory management by maintaining accurate records, performing inventory counts, and reconciling order discrepancies.

• Implement and maintain strict GMP procedures and lead any efforts required to address and close any material deviations, non-conformance, or any other quality event.

• Manage and perform daily Kanban replenishment and Material Requisition Process. Support materials ingression and staging in manufacturing suites.

• Partner with Planning & Sourcing, Manufacturing, QA, and QC personnel to ensure effective management of raw materials supply to support in-house manufacturing operations.

• Work with the electronic and paper-based inventory systems to manage receipt, quarantine, release, packaging, and issuance of GMP materials.

• Coordinate and perform destruction of all expired materials and final drug products and maintain applicable documentation.

• Monitor temperature conditions of refrigerators, freezers, and room temperature storage of cGMP materials including responding to alarms (on call), as necessary.

• Develop or modify SOPs, Work Instructions, forms and training materials for Materials Management processes.

• Lead the team in material management activities such as receiving, inspection, stocking, kitting, and sample submission.

• Ensure that all documentation and materials transactions are completed following Good Documentation Practices.

• Lead the preparation of outbound shipments, including but not limited to the preparation and maintenance of records and preparation goods for final shipment.

• Work closely with the Planning & Sourcing team to identify and manage supply shortages and higher usage rates than expected.

• Adhere to appropriate PPE and safety guidelines.

• Will supervise, mentor and train junior associates; consistently demonstrate leadership attributes and a solid understanding of cGMP principles and regulations.

Qualifications :
• 5+ years of relevant experience in a regulated materials management environment in biotech or life sciences; Bachelor’s degree preferred.

• GMP experience from Pharma/Biotech/ industries required and working knowledge of Good Distribution Practices.

• Warehouse experience related to picking, packaging, distribution of cryogenic and ambient materials.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Experience guiding and coaching junior associates; Supervisory experience preferred.

• Knowledge of inventory management systems, both paper and electronic, is desired.

Working conditions & physical requirements:
• 100% onsite work in a warehouse environment.

• Will require to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

• Will require working with hazardous materials.

• Will require work in controlled and cGMP Manufacturing environments requiring special gowning.

• Evening and weekend work may be required.

Compensation:
• The salary offer will be based on a variety of factors, including level, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and location.

• Fate offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package.

• The anticipated hourly range for this role is $45-52.

The preceding job description indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. Additional and incidental duties related to the primary duties may be required from time to time.

Equal Employment Opportunity
Fate Therapeutics, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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About Fate Therapeutics, Inc.
Fate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients. Using its proprietary iPSC product platform, the Company has established a leadership position in creating multiplexed-engineered master iPSC lines and in the manufacture and clinical development of off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived cell products. The Company’s pipeline includes iPSC-derived T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell product candidates, which are selectively designed, incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function, and are intended to deliver multiple therapeutic mechanisms to patients. Fate Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.fatetherapeutics.com.

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