Labs & Life Sciences Ops · Calgary, AB · Remote

Strong science stalls
without the ops to back it up.

If your documents aren't traceable. If your team is transferring data by hand. If every audit becomes a scramble — we should talk.

Book a fit check → See how it works ↓
The Real Cost

Busy isn't the same as productive.

Cash doesn't become revenue on its own. Every hour spent on manual tracking, duplicate processes, or audit scramble is time off your runway — and a step closer to a round that might not close.

3 PhDs + 3 ordering platforms → 6-figure waste

An R&D team with three PhD group leads was each running ordering in their own software — duplicating purchases, missing volume discounts, and losing 6+ hours a week per scientist to procurement, vendor comms, and receiving instead of science. Consolidating the system eliminated redundant platform fees and returned over 900 hours a year of PhD-level time to the work that actually moved the company forward.

Alberta biotech · R&D business unit, 2022–23

One founder on the science. One doing everything else.

Fundraising, coordinating the team, evaluating outputs, writing marketing copy — all on one person. Being busy is not the same as being productive. When the ops co-founder runs out of hours, the whole company slows — and the science partner doesn't even know it's happening.

Composite of early-stage science companies, Calgary ecosystem

The cost of doing nothing
3 PhDs × 3 platforms
6 hrs/week × 3 people × $120K salary
$112K/yr
in lost science time — plus $15–30K in redundant platform fees eliminated
1 ops co-founder, fully loaded
20 hrs/week on non-ops tasks × $120K salary
$60K/yr
in senior time doing work a system should handle
What you get back
From fixing just 1–2 priorities — not overhauling the business
900+ hrs/yr
Time back on what actually matters.
Ops Diagnostic from $2,500 · scoped in the fit check
How It Works

Chat. Diagnose. Decide. Design. Deploy.

Every engagement starts with a conversation — no deck, no pitch. From there, two paths: if you want clarity on what to fix first, we run a focused Ops Diagnostic. If you already know what's broken, we skip straight to the build. Either way, you get a proposal with prioritized work and a clear estimate within 48 hours.

01

Diagnose

Map how work actually moves — not how the org chart says it does. Find where time is leaking, where documentation is thin, where human error is creeping into your data.

02

Decide

Agree on the 1–2 priorities that change the slope. Not a 40-item list. The things that, if fixed, unlock the rest.

03

Design

A proposal with recommendations, scoped to your team's stage and budget. Delivered within 48 hours, whether from a Diagnostic or a direct retainer kickoff.

04

Deploy

Your team runs the plan, or I stay on as a Fractional Ops Partner — project-by-project or ongoing — to build it with you.

"Already done" vs "will do" is a system, not a personality trait.

Fixed Price · 1 Week

The Ops Diagnostic

For teams that know something's wrong but aren't sure what to fix first. One week of focused review — interviews, workflow mapping, document audit. 48 hours after the final session, you get a report with the 1–2 priorities that change the slope, an hours-burned estimate, and recommended next steps.

  • 60-min kickoff + 2–3 stakeholder interviews
  • Workflow and document review
  • Report delivered within 48 hours of final session
  • Prioritized recommendations — not a 60-page deck
From $2,500 CAD + GST Final scope confirmed in the fit check · credited toward a retainer if you continue.
Book a fit check →
Monthly · Ongoing

Fractional Ops Partner

For teams that already know what's broken and want it fixed. I work alongside your team each month — embedded, hands-on, tied to real outcomes. Whether you're coming from a Diagnostic or starting here directly, the work is the same.

  • QMS builds, document control, traceability
  • Training records and calibration programs
  • SOP redesigns grounded in why, not just what
  • Workflow automation where it saves real time
Scoped monthly Scoped monthly · based on team size and scope.
Book a fit check

Most teams start with a Diagnostic. Some come in already knowing the gap and skip straight to the build. Both work.

Who It's For

Built for teams where the ops work is eating the science.

Venture-backed biotech, diagnostics startup, or accredited testing lab (ISO 17025) — funding stage matters less than what your team is dealing with right now. Check the ones that sound familiar.

The Approach

I've been that manager.

Calibrations to verify. Training records to chase. Certificates of Analysis that can't be found — I realized too late, before an audit that couldn't slip. I was committed to not let it happen again.

After understanding what drives real change, "will do" was replaced by "already done." This became a system, not a personality trait.

The harder problem is usually upstream, and with no time to waste, teams default to "just-do-it." That breaks easily and doesn't scale. I enforce one rule: if the purpose can't be explained, we shouldn't be doing it. Every process needs a why. That's what I find, clean up — or get rid of. That's what creates ownership and lasting change.

Master of Biomedical Technology ISO 9001 & 17025 P&L Management QMS Workflow Automation Agentic AI Bilingual EN/ES
Pablo García, Principal Consultant at Primed Growth
Pablo García · Principal Consultant

"If the purpose can't be explained, we shouldn't be doing it."

14 years in regulated operations — analytical testing, energy services, and biotech — from early-stage builds to ISO-audited, multi-site environments across Canada.

FAQ

Common questions

What does fractional operations leadership cost?

The Ops Diagnostic is a fixed-price engagement from $2,500 CAD + GST — one week, ending in a prioritized report. Fractional Ops Partner retainers are scoped monthly based on team size and scope. For comparison, a full-time operations director in Canada runs $150K+ fully loaded; fractional gives you the same seniority for a fraction of that.

What is an Ops Diagnostic?

A one-week, fixed-price review of how work actually moves through your team — interviews, workflow mapping, and document review. Within 48 hours of the final session you get the 1–2 priorities that change the slope, an hours-burned estimate, and recommended next steps.

Who does Primed Growth work with?

Accredited testing labs (ISO 17025), biotech and life sciences companies, diagnostics startups, and health-tech teams. Based in Calgary, working remotely with science and technical teams across Canada and the US.

Can you help us prepare for an ISO 17025 or CALA assessment?

Yes — audit readiness is core work: document control, traceability, calibration and training records, and closing findings from previous assessments. I've built and maintained ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 quality systems for 14 years, including a decade running a division of one of Canada's largest accredited analytical testing laboratories.

Do I still need to hire a full-time operations manager?

Sometimes — and if so, I'll tell you. Many teams use a fractional partner to stabilize operations first, then hire into a well-defined role. I can help scope the role and screen candidates so your first ops hire lands in a system that works.

Do you work remotely?

Yes. Diagnostics and retainers run remotely across Canada and the US, with on-site days available for Calgary-area teams.

Get Started

Let's see if it's a fit.

20 minutes in exchange for hours back every week. If it's not a fit, I'll flag it.

Book a fit check →
Email directly pablo@primedgrowth.ca
Response time Same business day

Calgary, AB. Working with science and technical teams across Canada and the US.