Laboratory Automation Engineer - Hardware & Orchestration
Job Description
Laboratory Automation Engineer – Hardware & Orchestration
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2.5 year W2 Contract · Ridgefield, Connecticut · 4 days on site · Drug Discovery
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A pharma biotherapeutics research group is running a multi-million-dollar Lab Automation Transformation programme, and new automation hardware is arriving in its Ridgefield labs across Tecan, Hamilton and Biomek platforms, all orchestrated through Cellario.
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Somebody needs to make that hardware deliver: scripting the liquid handlers, integrating instruments into automated workcells, and orchestrating them so they do what the science needs.
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This is a hands-on automation role for a scientist. You will understand the science first, then make the equipment work for it. Scientists will come to you when they want a workflow automated, and the programme will rely on you to keep the systems running reliably.
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What you'll be doing:
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A workflow that a scientist runs by hand today in protein engineering, lead generation, expression and purification, or biophysics has to become a robust automated process tomorrow: scripted on a liquid handler, integrated into a workcell and scheduled through Cellario. Repeat that across three vendor platforms and several research teams, and you have the job.
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In practice, that means:
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- Writing, optimising and maintaining automated methods on Tecan (EVOware / FluentControl), Hamilton (VENUS) and Beckman Biomek platforms.
- Integrating new instruments into automated workcells and orchestrating them in Cellario.
- Supporting installation, commissioning and qualification of new automation hardware alongside equipment vendors.
- Partnering with scientists to turn manual workflows into robust automated processes.
- Troubleshooting hardware and method issues to keep systems running reliably.
- Training scientists, colleagues and external partners on automated systems, and contributing to SOPs and documentation.
- Contributing to technology and vendor evaluations, with a focus on cost-effectiveness.
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Year one, in one sentence: the new hardware commissioned, qualified and running robust, Cellario-orchestrated workflows that scientists rely on.
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How the team works:
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You report to the Lab Automation Team Lead and work alongside:
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- A Digital / Data Integration Lead, who owns LIMS/ELN and data connectivity. You will work closely with this person so that the hardware and data systems fit together.
- Lab scientists across protein engineering, lead generation, protein expression and purification, and biophysics.
- The internal IT team.
- Equipment vendors, whom you will work with on installation and commissioning.
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The labs run business hours. There is no evening work, no weekend work and no on-call.
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What we're looking for:
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- A hands-on lab science background. You have worked at the bench in biologics or protein science, in areas such as protein engineering, antibody discovery, expression, purification or biophysical characterisation.
- Method writing, not just method running. Proven experience writing methods on at least one major liquid-handling platform. Tecan or Hamilton is preferred, and Biomek is also valued. All three are in use, so you will need to be willing to learn the others.
- Orchestration experience. Cellario is strongly preferred. Green Button Go, Biosero or similar will be considered.
- Comfort with the physical side of automation. Instrument setup, hardware troubleshooting and working alongside vendor engineers.
- A problem-solver's mindset. You are methodical when something goes wrong, and you communicate clearly with scientists, IT and vendors.
- Independence and teamwork. You can own your work and also be part of a collaborative team.
- Willingness to be in the lab. You will be on site four to five days a week, because the hardware is there.
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Helpful, but genuinely not required:
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- Pharmaceutical or biotech industry experience.
- Python or C# scripting.
- Experience with a new automation build or hardware rollout.
- Robotic arm or workcell integration experience.
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Why it's worth doing
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This is a funded, multi-year transformation programme, so you will be building new automation capability rather than maintaining legacy systems. You will broaden your skills across three liquid-handling platforms in a Cellario-orchestrated environment, and you will work at the heart of next-generation biotherapeutics discovery.
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And you keep your evenings and weekends. No out-of-hours work, no on-call.