Senior Automation Scientist — Biology

About the Role Senior Automation Scientist — Biology is a high-impact scientific and technical leadership role within the Smart Research Laboratory. This role leads the development, implementation, and optimization of automated biological workflows while shaping strategic direction, technical standards, and operational excellence for advanced laboratory automation. The successful candidate combines deep biology expertise with assay development, robotics, and integrated hardware/software systems to deliver robust, scalable, data-rich automated processes.

What You'll Do

• 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.

What We're Looking For

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in life sciences, engineering, automation, bioengineering or related field; Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) highly desired.
• Experience: At least 3 years of experience in programming and conducting automated assays; experience in a biopharma research environment required.
• Significant experience developing, programming, validating, and deploying automated biological assays in biopharma, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or advanced research settings.
• 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.

Nice to Have

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) highly desired (already listed in education).
• Experience with Momentum, Venus, and InstinctS language models/APIs for automation workflows.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary and benefits information not disclosed in the posting.