Job Summary

The Senior Automation Scientist — Biology is a high-impact scientific and technical leadership role within the Smart Research Laboratory. This position is responsible not only for developing, implementing, and optimizing automated biological workflows, but also for helping shape the strategic direction, technical standards, and operational excellence of advanced laboratory automation capabilities. The successful candidate brings deep expertise across biology, assay development, laboratory robotics, integrated hardware/software systems, and automated experimental design. This individual serves as a senior subject matter expert who translates complex biological workflows into robust, scalable, and data-rich automated processes. The role requires strong scientific judgment, technical foresight, and the ability to guide platform decisions. The Senior Automation Scientist will also contribute meaningfully to decision-making, mentor junior scientists and automation users, influence assay automation strategy, evaluate emerging technologies, and partner with cross-functional stakeholders to advance the mission of automated scientific discovery. This role requires regular on-site presence and is not a remote position.

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development, implementation, optimization, and lifecycle management of automated biology workflows across integrated hardware and software systems.
• Provide senior-level technical leadership for assay automation strategy, workflow feasibility, method validation, system integration, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• 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 language models/APIs.

• Adapt, optimize, and validate cell-based, biochemical, molecular biology, imaging, cellular biology, and in-vitro assay workflows for automated experimentation.
• Apply scientific judgment to ensure 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.
• Contribute to Smart Research Laboratory platform strategy by identifying capability gaps, evaluating emerging technologies, recommending workflow improvements, and supporting technology adoption decisions.

• Partners with biology, automation, engineering, informatics, software, and operations teams to align automated workflows with scientific priorities and organizational needs.
• Mentor junior scientists, automation users, and cross-functional partners in assay automation, experimental design, troubleshooting, documentation, and best practices.
• Lead complex automation projects from concept through deployment, including project planning, documentation, stakeholder coordination, risk mitigation, and timely delivery.
• Solve complex scientific, technical, and operational problems in a fast-paced research environment while balancing hands-on execution with senior-level guidance and decision support.

Qualifications

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree degree in life sciences, engineering, automation, bioengineering or a related field required
• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) is highly desired

 

Experience Qualifications

• At least 3 years of experience in programming and conducting automated assays; previous experience working in a biopharma research environment is required
• 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, and method validation.
• Proven ability to lead complex automation or assay development projects requiring scientific judgment, technical integration, troubleshooting, stakeholder alignment, and high-quality execution.
• Experience analyzing experimental and workflow data using Prism, Spotfire, or similar data analytics and visualization tools.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior technical contributor by influencing decisions, mentoring others, and guiding project or platform direction without requiring direct managerial authority.