Automation Service EngineerDepartment: Automation Service Engineering
Job DescriptionThe Automation Service Engineer II role provides laboratory service and support to the Operations and Development labs across Guardant Health’s multiple locations. In this role, the candidate will perform equipment installations, qualifications, maintenance, and troubleshooting of complex laboratory automation systems, including liquid handlers and other instrumentation used within a sequencing workflow. If selected, the candidate will utilize their technical skills to provide world-class customer service, while complying with quality and regulatory requirements. As an Automation Service Engineer II, the candidate will help train other team members, both within Automation Service Engineering as well as other operators from cross-functional departments. The selected candidate shall utilize past experiences to help foster a continuous improvement culture by proposing ideas and helping to drive them to fruition. In this position, he/she will contribute to ensuring instrument reliability, equipment capacity, and streamlined workflows.
Responsibilities- Perform installation and operational qualifications (IQOQ), monthly/semi-annual/annual preventative maintenances (PM), troubleshooting and repair
- Ensure instrument uptime by resolving service requests in a timely manner and escalating complex issues as needed
- Perform routine troubleshooting of automation systems and laboratory instrumentation
- Identify repeat issues and performing root cause analysis to mitigate recurrence
- Maintain accurate service documentation in compliance with quality systems
- Monitor instrument performance metrics and help drive improvements
- Author and revise SOPs, checklists, and service documentation
- Ensure accuracy of maintenance and calibration within the asset management system
- Provide tier 1 support to laboratory end-users for issues related to equipment, communication/connectivity, methods, etc.
- Assist in temperature monitoring of cold storages, laboratories, warehouses, etc via a temperature monitoring system
- Collaborate with team members to drive continuous improvement projects as they relate to service processes to help streamline day-to-day workflows
- Provide training and guidance to more junior Automation Service Engineers and other cross-functional departments
- Partner with cross-functional departments within project core-teams to implement lab deployments, relocations, and operational scale-up
- Collaborate with internal partners and external vendors, as needed
- Participate in an on-call rotation to provide after-hours support
Qualifications- BS degree in engineering or scientific discipline, or equivalent
- 3–5+ years of relevant service/support experience
- Minimum of 3 years of laboratory equipment support experience
- Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills
- Experience supporting Hamilton liquid handlers, Qiagen QiaSymphony, Agilent TapeStation, Illumina sequencers, and other laboratory equipment used within a sequencing workflow
- Experience authoring and executing PM, IQ, OQ, PQ, and repair documentation
- Experience driving root cause analysis
- Experience implementing continuous improvements
- High-throughput automation/workcell experience preferred
- Experience working in a regulated environment (CLIA, CAP, GMP, FDA)
- Strong documentation practices (GDP)
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologies preferred
- Ability to travel up to 20%
AI & Digital Fluency
- Demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of work.
Hybrid Work Model:This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We have found aligning our scheduled in-office days allows our teams to do the best work and creates the focused thinking time our innovative work requires. At Guardant, our work model has created flexibility for better work-life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.
The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. This range does not include benefits or, if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, education, job-related skills, job duties, and business need.
Primary Location: Palo Alto, CA
Primary Location Base Pay Range: $108,000 - $148,500
Other US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $91,800 - $126,225
If the role is performed in Colorado, the pay range for this job is: $97,200 - $133,650
Employee may be required to lift routine office supplies and use office equipment. Majority of the work is performed in a desk/office environment; however, there may be exposure to high noise levels, fumes, and biohazard material in the laboratory environment. Ability to sit for extended periods of time.
