Job Summary

The Associate Director, Automation Scientist — Biology is a senior technical expert role within the Smart Research Laboratory. This position provides technical guidance and direction, applying deep scientific knowledge in early stage drug discovery and assay development, automation, and functional expertise to lead assigned research programs, and workflow implementation efforts in collaboration with other functional areas. The successful candidate is regarded as a technical expert in automated biology workflows, data analysis, assay automation, laboratory robotics, electrical and mechanical engineering, integrated hardware/software systems, and automated assay design. This individual translates complex biological workflows into robust, scalable, and data-rich automated processes while providing advice, counsel, and technical perspectives to Research Heads, project teams, and other members of the organization. The Associate Director will lead and pull through projects and lead small programs, solve complex and often unprecedented technical problems using diverse internal and external information sources, contribute to the development of junior members, and help build consensus in challenging cross-functional situations. This role requires regular on-site presence and is not a remote position.

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and direction for automated biology workflows, including design, development, implementation, optimization, and lifecycle management across integrated hardware and software systems.
• Apply technical and functional knowledge to lead assigned experiments, studies, workflow feasibility assessments, method validation, system integration, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement activities.
• Program, operate, modify, and optimize complex automation platforms, including liquid handlers, dispensers, plate robots, sealers/desealers, acoustic transfer devices, multimodal readers, and related laboratory systems to successfully implement and guide others in method development, validation, and hardware integration testing on the Momentum, Venus, and InstinctS automation control software, programming, device calibration and APIs.

• Adapt, optimize, and validate cell-based, biochemical, molecular biology, imaging, cellular biology, and in-vitro assay workflows for automated experimentation.
• Exercise autonomous scientific judgment for assigned experiments and research activities within the Area, ensuring automated workflows maintain assay performance, biological relevance, precision, accuracy, robustness, and reproducibility.
• Analyze and interpret multi-parametric experimental and workflow performance data using tools such as Prism, Spotfire, and related analytics platforms.

• Influence technical and operational decisions by advising the Area Head and cross-functional stakeholders on capability gaps, emerging technologies, workflow improvements, and technology adoption priorities.
• Collaborate effectively with biology, automation, engineering, informatics, software, operations, and other Areas to align automated workflows with scientific priorities and project goals.

• Act as a technical resource within the Area by mentoring junior scientists, automation users, and cross-functional partners in assay automation, experimental design, troubleshooting, documentation, and best practices.
• Represent the Area on project teams involving multiple Areas and lead small projects from concept through deployment, including planning, documentation, stakeholder coordination, risk mitigation, and pull-through of experiments.
• Solve complex, ambiguous, and unprecedented scientific, technical, and operational problems by evaluating situations using multiple sources of information and applying novel approaches to improve research performance and efficiency within the Area.

Qualifications

Education Qualifications

• Masters degree in life sciences, engineering, automation, bioengineering, or a related field required
• PhD or another advanced degree such as a PharmD is preferred

 

Experience Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant experience
• Significant experience developing, programming, validating, and deploying automated biological assays in a biopharma, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or advanced research environment.
• Demonstrated expertise adapting and optimizing cell-based, biochemical, molecular biology, imaging, cellular biology, and in-vitro workflows for automated laboratory environments.
• Advanced experience with laboratory robotics, liquid handling, integrating instrumentation, assay miniaturization, automated workflow design, device calibration and method validation. 
• Proven ability to lead assigned experiments, studies, or small projects requiring scientific judgment, technical integration, troubleshooting, stakeholder alignment, and high-quality execution across multiple areas.
• Experience analyzing experimental and workflow data using Prism, Spotfire, or similar data analytics and visualization tools.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at the Associate Director level by serving as a recognized technical expert, influencing decisions through advice and counsel, contributing to junior member development, and guiding technical direction without requiring direct managerial authority required