Senior Lab Automation Engineer
Description For Senior Lab Automation Engineer
The Institute for Protein Innovation (IPI) is seeking a Senior Lab Automation Engineer to join their team in Boston's Longwood Medical Area. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to the enhancement and growth of IPI's antibody platform. As a nonprofit research organization, IPI combines the freedom of academia with the high throughput and scale of industry to take on transformative projects in protein science.
The Senior Lab Automation Engineer will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and optimizing robust automation workflows for various aspects of antibody research and production. This includes working on mammalian cell culture, antigen and antibody production, antibody discovery, characterization, and application validation. The position requires close collaboration with IPI's researchers to update and implement automation solutions for a wide range of experiments.
Key responsibilities include converting SOPs into automated workflows, developing and optimizing processes using various software platforms, executing lab automation tasks, training scientists, documenting workflows, and contributing to the design of integrated platforms. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in engineering or a related STEM field, with at least 5 years of experience in a biotech or life sciences environment. Expertise in laboratory automation, scripting languages, and experience with various robotic liquid handlers are essential.
IPI offers a competitive compensation package with excellent benefits, including fully paid health insurance, a generous 401(k) match, and opportunities for career development. This role is perfect for a self-motivated individual who thrives in a multidisciplinary team environment and is passionate about advancing protein science to improve human health.
Responsibilities For Senior Lab Automation Engineer
- Collaborate with scientists to convert standard operating procedures (SOPs) into robust automated workflows
- Develop, optimize, and implement workflows across our antibody platform using scheduling software and liquid handler software
- Execute lab automation operation tasks, including error recovery, device maintenance, point-teaching, and method editing
- Train and support scientists and research associates in preparing and conducting automation runs on various platforms
- Document automation workflows and author SOPs to ensure consistency and reproducibility
- Assist in the design and implementation of integrated platforms to provide comprehensive automation solutions
- Evaluate and recommend changes to existing systems to improve processes, increase reliability, and decrease cost
- Engage in scientific discussions about the application of automation, present innovative process improvements, and contribute to scientific articles and papers
Requirements For Senior Lab Automation Engineer
- BS or MS Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering, or closely related discipline or a Ph.D. in STEM or a related field
- A minimum of 5 years of experience in a biotech, biopharmaceutical, or life sciences environment
- A demonstrated track record in automating laboratory tasks on integrated robotics systems
- Experience automating methods like antibody purification, ELISA's, mammalian cell transfections, NGS sample prep, minipreps, plasmid construction, protein purifications, and IP's
- Experience writing and optimizing scripts in a variety of languages (python, C#, visual basic, etc.)
- Experience developing methods on a wide variety of robotic liquid handlers (Hamilton Star, Biomek i7, Lynx, Tecan Freedom Evo, etc.)
- Proficiency in Python
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Benefits For Senior Lab Automation Engineer
- 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision plans
- Flexible spending accounts and a healthcare reimbursement account
- 401(k) plan with generous 6% employer match – immediately 100% vested
- Generous PTO package
- Commuter and parking reimbursement
- Career development opportunities
