Inventory Specialist

The opportunity

We're a stealth startup in AI and bio, building infrastructure for data generation. The team is small and elite, the problems are hard, and the foundations are being laid right now. You'd help write them from the first line, with ownership and a direct line to the founders. Youʼll help make sure laboratory teams have the consumables they need, when they need them. Youʼll have a say in the software they use to manage stock, and learn to use AI to make everyday purchasing and inventory work easier.

About us

AI for biology has a data problem. The data that matters most doesn't exist yet, so we're building the infrastructure to produce it, with quality and traceability built in from day one. We're in stealth and heads-down on execution. We'll share more about what we're building once you've spoken with the team.

The role

This is a hands-on, early-career role within our Infrastructure team. Youʼll manage day-to-day consumables purchasing, receive deliveries and keep stock records accurate, with training and guidance from your manager and laboratory colleagues. As you learn the work, youʼll organise your day independently and follow issues through to resolution. Youʼll work with laboratory teams to understand demand, place orders within agreed budgets and approvals, and chase delays before they disrupt work. Youʼll maintain supplier prices and lead times, flag supply risks and get laboratory approval for any proposed substitutions. At goods receipt, youʼll check orders against deliveries, including quantities, condition and relevant batch, expiry and temperature requirements. Youʼll record receipts promptly, route goods to the right storage and resolve discrepancies. Youʼll help physically set up storage areas, organise stock into defined bin locations and label and barcode those locations so they match the inventory records. Youʼll record stock movements and investigate differences found during stock counts. With guidance, youʼll propose reorder points and buffer stock using consumption, lead times and planned activity. Youʼll track expiry dates, prioritise the earliest-expiring stock where appropriate and maintain consistent item codes, units and pack conversions. Youʼll document procedures, follow safety and quality requirements, and segregate items awaiting review. Regular updates on supply risks and stock accuracy, together with reliable receipt records, will help colleagues in the lab and finance. Youʼll work directly with software engineers to shape the inventory tools you use every day. Youʼll bring ideas from the lab, explain what needs to work differently and test new features against real tasks. Your input will help decide what gets improved, with your manager and the software team leading priorities, design and development. Youʼll also learn to use AI-assisted workflows for tasks such as reviewing inventory data and preparing routine updates, then help refine those workflows as you find better ways to work. Training and support will be part of the role. Your first 90 days FIRST 30 DAYS ◆ Learn the consumables, storage requirements and approval processes with laboratory colleagues. Take on routine ordering and goods receipt with support. ◆ Check stock records against physical inventory and map the journey from purchase request to use. Agree a practical storage layout and bin-location scheme with laboratory colleagues, taking account of access and storage requirements. DAYS 30 TO 60 ◆ Run routine ordering, receipts and stock counts independently within agreed processes. Keep colleagues informed of shortages, overdue orders and expiring stock. ◆ Physically set up and organise the agreed storage areas, label and barcode bin locations, and link them to inventory records. Propose replenishment settings with your manager and laboratory colleagues, and document how stock is stored and moved. Turn recurring problems into examples for the software team. DAYS 60 TO 90 ◆ Check that colleagues can find, receive and return stock using the labelled and barcoded locations. Resolve gaps in the layout or records, and refine replenishment to reduce avoidable shortages and waste. ◆ Test available inventory features against everyday tasks and help colleagues adopt improvements. With support, try an AI-assisted workflow for a routine task, check its outputs and suggest how to improve it.

Who you are

Youʼre proactive, organised and attentive to detail, and you enjoy practical work where accurate records have visible consequences. When a problem arises, you flag it promptly and investigate practical solutions while keeping colleagues informed. You act within agreed processes, bring options when a decision needs support and follow the issue through to resolution. Your experience may come from inventory, purchasing, logistics or laboratory operations, including an apprenticeship or placement. A scientific degree and coding experience are not required. We welcome transferable experience with physical stock and time-sensitive supplies. Youʼre willing to help beyond a fixed task list as the team grows, while using judgement about when to escalate. Nobody arrives with every part of this role. If you are strong in most of it and quick to learn the rest, we want to hear from you. MUST HAVE ◆ Practical experience of inventory, purchasing, goods receipt, logistics or laboratory operations. ◆ Careful record-keeping and an organised approach to checking deliveries, prioritising work and following actions through. ◆ Confidence with digital tools and a willingness to learn to use AI, check its outputs and improve recurring workflows over time. Prior AI expertise is not required. ◆ Clear communication with suppliers and colleagues, including explaining an operational problem to a software developer.

NICE TO HAVE

◆ Experience with laboratory consumables or expiry-sensitive and temperature-controlled stock. ◆ Familiarity with inventory or ERP systems, barcode-based stock control, or testing new software. W