Job Description

Job Summary

We are currently seeking a highly motivated and talented engineer with experience in laboratory automation to support our genome mining efforts. As part of the Automation team at LifeMine, you will have the opportunity to work with an amazing group of scientists and life engineers to drive next evolution in drug discovery by incorporation automated technologies into biological and chemical workflows. You'll be responsible for successful development, implementation and validation of new automated protocols and act as the go-to person for automation and other technical supports. As we look toward expanding our automation capabilities, you will have the amazing opportunity to help design and build a state-of-the-art automation facilities to rapidly enable and accelerate LifeMine’s fungal, genomically-enabled drug discovery platform. We are looking for someone who is hands-on, passionate and with a strong willingness to learn and adapt in a dynamic environment.

Job Responsibilities

Work closely with scientists to develop and/or improve automated workflow utilizing various laboratory automation equipment with the key focus of increasing throughput, improving data quality, reducing costs and removing any operational bottlenecks.
Program, optimize, validate, and implement new and/or improved methods on robotic liquid handling workstations and integrated laboratory automation systems and work cell.
Design, implement and lead integration projects to enable LifeMine to grow at scale.
Explore, design and prototype customized solutions and/or gadgets to meet automation needs.
Establish and maintain automation operational protocols/documentations (i.e. SOP, scripts, backups, data analysis) and inventory of automation consumables.
Work with Informatics and IT to establish and/or improve LifeMine's current LIMS and data analysis infrastructure.
Develop customized scripts to enable lab connectivity and/or data analysis.
Provide hands-on training to end users on various automation platforms and act as a go-to person for on-site support for all automation related issues.
Collaborate with third-party vendors to evaluate, negotiate and implement new automation solutions.
Proactively evaluate new technologies, analyze existing workflows, identify bottlenecks, and develop solutions to improve efficiency, throughput, cost, and quality.
This position will collaborate with Microbiology, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Synthetic Biology, Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Data Science and Chemistry teams to design, implement and support high impact automated workflows.
Other tasks as required or necessitated by the position.

Job Requirements

MS with 6+ years of experience or B.S. with 8+ years of experience in biomedical or biological engineering, chemical engineering or similar.
Advanced knowledge with laboratory automation systems and experimental workflow development, utilizing robotic liquid handlers (Hamilton, Labcyte Echo, Agilent Bravo, Tecan, Dynamic Devices) and associated integrated accessories (Precise Arm, Liconic Incubators, plate washer and bulk dispensers, plates sealer/peelers etc...).
Strong knowledge of agile software development framework, both for software (Python, JavaScript, Node.js, JAVA) and hardware control (PLC logic, system controls and various electronical components).
Strong electrical and mechanical background to be able to assemble and troubleshoot automated system as needed.
Knowledge of system design and rapid prototyping via Solidworks to generate customized solution from concepts to implementation.
Experience with fully integrated automation solutions and software such as HighRes Cellario, Biosero Green Button Go, Thermo Momentum, PAA Overlord, Retisoft Genera, Transcriptic automation or similar.
Knowledge with streamlining workflows and developing automated laboratory processes and instrumentation systems, including collecting and documenting requirements, developing concepts, design, testing/validation, implementing, and training.
Familiarity with cloud architecture framework (AWS, GC, Serverless) and/or database (SQL, Postgres, noSQL) is a plus.
Developing, optimizing and implementing integrated robotic systems for use in a high throughput drug discovery environment is a plus.
Experience with project management and barcoded samples storage and tracking is a plus.
Knowledge of standard molecular biology techniques such as nucleic acid isolation/purification, DNA assembly, transformation, CRISPR editing, NGS is a plus.
Independent, service-oriented, willingness to learn and take on new challenges, and a strong passion to work in a dynamic team environment to improve patient outcomes and save lives.

Valid through: 4/20/2021