Senior Automation Engineer, Platform Biology

Vesalius Therapeutics

• $108K — $170K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD (or MD/PhD) in neuroscience, biology, immunology, genetics, or related field; or MS/BS with equivalent industry experience.
  • 10+ years of experience in target validation and assay/model development, including leadership roles.
  • Successful track record in progressing preclinical therapeutic programs.
  • Expertise in molecular genomic tools like genome engineering and RNA interference.
  • Experience across various therapeutic areas, especially neurodegeneration, cardiovascular, and immune biology.
  • Deep knowledge of human-relevant in vitro systems and functional assay development.
  • Proven history of impactful scientific contributions through publications and patents.

Responsibilities

  • Own the biological validation strategy from genetics to cellular phenotypes.
  • Translate genetic evidence into experimental hypotheses and clear decision points.
  • Drive research projects for preclinical drug discovery programs, managing timelines and data quality.
  • Lead target validation across different modalities with a modality-agnostic approach.
  • Provide leadership in neurodegenerative disorders and CNS-relevant biology.
  • Oversee assay design, execution, and interpretation, focusing on human-relevant models.
  • Mentor and manage a team of scientists, establishing standards for scientific rigor.

Benefits

  • Innovative work environment focused on cutting-edge biology and target validation.
  • Opportunity to shape preclinical strategy in disease areas with high unmet need.
  • Support for professional development and leadership opportunities.
  • Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to enhance scientific impact.
  • Flexibility to operate in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Full Job Description
Role Overview

Vesalius Therapeutics is pioneering a new platform to generate breakthrough treatments for common diseases. Our platform combines large-scale human genetics, genomics, stem cell studies, high-dimensional cellular phenotyping, and artificial intelligence to uncover causal biology and identify optimal intervention points for new therapies. Vesalius was founded in 2019 by Flagship Pioneering.
Key Responsibilities
  • Implement Benchling as a data platform, not only as an ELN: entity schemas, the Postgres warehouse, Insights, the API, and the supporting integrations.
  • Establish sample tracking end to end. Chain of custody from donor material through line, vial, thaw, run and instrument output, and the links that let a result be attached back to the sample that produced it.
  • Deliver analysis-ready data to the data team, including structured metadata capture, stable identifiers, and documented schemas with reliable handoff.
  • Identify gaps in commercial software and design, ship and operate REST APIs and internal web applications, for example a results parser, a scheduling interface, or an app to integrate Benchling.
  • Build integrations between automation platforms, instruments, LIMS/ELN, imaging systems, databases and downstream data pipelines.
  • Build tools scientists use independently: search interfaces, pull lists, capacity dashboards.
  • Investigate and resolve discrepancies, such as inventory that does not reconcile after a migration, and build the checks that catch them earlier.
  • Apply sound software engineering practice: version control, testing, debugging, modular design, and documentation that someone else can maintain.
  • Partner across scientific, automation, IT and data teams, bridging experimental work and the systems that record it.
  • Anticipate future data and integration needs, plan for them, and stay flexible about learning new systems as the platform evolves.
Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, engineering, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, computational biology or a related field, or a life science degree with a demonstrated programming record.
  • 4+ years building software, tooling or data infrastructure in a laboratory or R&D setting, including time as the person accountable for a system other people depended on daily.
  • Strong Python and SQL: joins, aggregates, CTEs and window functions.
  • Deep hands-on experience with a LIMS or ELN and its API. Benchling strongly preferred; Sapio, Dotmatics, LabVantage or similar all count.
  • Experience shipping and operating a web application: a REST API, a front-end for other users, including authentication, deployment and maintenance.
  • Experience with how data moves through a laboratory: how a sample is registered, how it becomes an experiment, how instrument output is captured, and how a result is attached back to the sample.
  • Comfort with owning a domain independently, alongside strong scientific and hardware support.
  • Strong communication and documentation skills, and the ability to work effectively across scientific, automation, IT and data teams.
Preferred Experience
  • Benchling: entity schemas, the warehouse, Insights, the developer platform, webhooks or apps.
  • Parsing instrument output (plate readers, imagers, sequencers) into structured results tied to a sample.
  • Cloud infrastructure such as AWS, event-driven integrations, or data pipelines supporting automated laboratory environments.
  • Working alongside automated liquid handlers, integrated workcells or laboratory scheduling software (Hamilton, Tecan, HighRes Biosolutions, Dynamic Devices, Beckman or similar), as an integrator rather than a programmer.
  • Mammalian cell culture at the bench, especially iPSC systems, and aseptic technique.
  • Prior experience working in an automation-heavy laboratory environment.
  • Ability to troubleshoot across software, hardware, instrument communication, data and sample-tracking workflows.
  • Mentoring, or growing a small team.
  • A regulated or GxP-adjacent environment or writing validation and verification documentation.

The salary range for this role is $108,000 - $170,700. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Vesalius Therapeutics currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Vesalius Therapeutics's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

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