JOB DESCRIPTION
Automation Engineer
Department: Lab Operations
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Lab Manager
Manages People: No
Experience: Typically requires 5-7 years of related experience
Level of Supervision: Work is generally independent
Job Summary:
- The Automation Engineer will be responsible for migrating assays and processes from bench- top to automated liquid handling systems and integrated platforms.
Essential Responsibilities/Duties:
- Ability to program complex processes on the liquid handling systems, handling all aspects from requirements gathering to hands-on development and testing.
- Define requirements and specifications for internal clients and work with vendors todesign and configure systems to meet those needs.
- Capable of working with cross-functional project groups (scientists, managers, IT,facilities) necessary for successfully setting up large systems and related infrastructure.
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to new users.
- Manage multiple systems in core lab environments: establish best practices, proactively monitor system performance, respond to errors and urgent requestsin a timely manner.
- Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis and resolution of complex automation problems.
- Work efficiently to reduce equipment downtime in the lab.
- Continuously assess the state of the operations and prioritize improvements based on expected improvements.
- Provide systematic approaches to implement automation solutions to ensure process scalability, sustainability, and reliability.
- Design the development of new, automated, and efficient lab processes, with the end goal of processing tests hands-free.
- Perform audits across multiple systems for QA (Automated equipment, incident tracking, and documents)
Qualifications:
Education –
- BS/MS in science or engineering discipline
- Competencies/Skills –
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong problem-solving abilities, adaptability to change.
- Detailed knowledge and extensive hand on experience of multiple liquidhandling systems (e.g. Hamilton Vantage, Tecan EVO, Agilent Bravo, or similar liquid handling platforms)
- Proficiency with any major programming language (e.g. C#.NET, python)
- Venus Software Basic and Advance Training
- Venus Liquid Handling Training
- Venus over Vantage method Development (preferred but not required)
- Hamilton Liquid Verification (LVK) (preferred but not required)
Experience –
- Previous experience with assay development; liquid handling performancequalification, biological assay, optimization, and inter-intra- assay performance validation.
- Expertise with protocol development and operation of integratedsystems and automation scheduling software applications.
- Created documents for process development which included, IQOQPQ, Study Test Plans, Change Managements, Method Requirements, Method Specifications and Design Input Requirements.
- Worked with service engineers on instrument diagnosis and repair.
- Experience with the following standard life-science application areas:microbiology, molecular biology, high throughput diagnostic testing.
Certifications/Licenses –