4913 Automation Engineer

Harvest Technical Services, Inc.

$104K — $124K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BS/MS in Engineering (Biomedical, Mechanical, Chemical), Molecular Biology, Genetics, or related discipline.
  • Junior to mid-level experience in laboratory automation, ideally in high-throughput settings.
  • Experience in operating and troubleshooting liquid handling and cell culture automation systems.
  • Proficiency in scripting or programming for lab automation platforms is a plus.
  • Strong expertise in sterile mammalian cell culture and human iPSCs.
  • Technical knowledge of cell-based functional assays, image acquisition/analysis, or molecular assays.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and optimize automated workflows for liquid handling, cell imaging, and culture processes.
  • Collaborate with Principal Automation Engineer to transition manual processes to automation.
  • Design and validate experiments for newly optimized automated protocols.
  • Program and troubleshoot automated systems used in cell culture and analytics.
  • Conduct training for scientists and lab staff on new automated protocols and equipment.
  • Execute analytical workflows on automated platforms for gene-based and cell-based assays.
  • Manage equipment onboarding, maintenance, and calibration for automated systems.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative scientific environment.
  • Hands-on involvement in developing cutting-edge automation technology.
  • Career advancement potential within an expanding department.
  • Engagement in research that has a direct impact on cell therapy advancements.
Full Job Description
Onsite: South San Francisco

Description
  • The Cell Therapy Department is looking for a self-motivated, intellectually curious Laboratory Automation Engineer to join its expanding team.
  • The ideal candidate will be a skilled, hands-on automation engineer, who thrives in a rigorous and collaborative scientific environment.
  • This individual will be crucial in establishing and optimizing automated workflows within the Cell Therapy laboratory, working closely with the Principal Automation Engineer to develop and transfer manual processes to automated platforms, and making significant contributions to achieving the department's objectives.


Responsibilities
  • Develop, implement, and optimize automated workflows, primarily focusing on liquid handlers, cell imaging, and cell culture automation.
  • Work closely with the Principal Automation Engineer to transfer manual laboratory processes to automated systems.
  • Design and execute validation experiments for newly developed and optimized automated protocols.
  • Program and troubleshoot automated systems implemented for cell culture, clonal expansion and analytical workflows.
  • Lead training sessions for scientists and lab staff on newly implemented automated equipment and protocols.
  • Perform analytical workflows encompassing but not limited to gene-based assays and cell-based assays on automated platforms.
  • Data acquisition, analysis, interpretation, and communication of findings in internal scientific meetings.
  • Coordinate equipment on-boarding, maintenance, and calibration for automated systems.
  • Maintain compliance with lab safety, training, and documentation standards for automated operations.


Requirements
  • BS/MS in Engineering (e.g., Biomedical, Mechanical, Chemical), Molecular Biology, Genetics, or a related discipline.
  • Junior to mid-level experience in a laboratory automation role, preferably with a background in high-throughput production environments.
  • Demonstrated experience operating and troubleshooting laboratory automation,
  • specifically liquid handling and/or cell culture automation.
  • Experience with scripting or programming for laboratory automation platforms is preferred.
  • Strong background in sterile aseptic mammalian cell culture techniques and experience working with human iPSCs.
  • Technical expertise in at least two of the following areas: cell-based functional assays, image acquisition/analysis, molecular assays (NGS, RT-PCR, dd-PCR), flow cytometry.
  • Proven ability to multitask, collaborate, and communicate effectively, including leading
  • training sessions.


Other Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with single cell cloning and stem cell differentiation.
  • Familiarity with various automation platforms, liquid handling systems, and high-
  • throughput screening methodologies.
  • Experience with delivery of genome engineering systems to iPSCs.
  • Prior industry work experience in a regulated environment.
  • Experience using software for flow cytometry analysis, electronic lab notebook, and data visualization (e.g., FlowJo, Benchling, Spotfire, GraphPad Prism, Geneious, Snapgene).


The hiring range for this position is $50 -$60 per hour. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity, and may also vary depending on candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience amongst other factors

Harvest Technical Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, Sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

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