Staff Engineer - Systems Design
About the job
- A completed degree in engineering, biotechnology, medical technology, or a comparable field.
- Several years of practical experience scripting for laboratory automation and liquid-handling robots.
- Experience assembling and commissioning laboratory automation solutions.
- Strong technical understanding, including adapting and optimizing commercial solutions through rapid prototyping in close collaboration with mechanical and electrical engineers.
- Basic knowledge of common molecular biology methods, including DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, cloning, and sequencing, and cell biology procedures such as cell culture.
- Very good written and spoken German and English.
- Good Microsoft Office skills.
- Develop automated processes based on manual workflows.
- Plan and conduct experiments to model processes and derive optimal process parameters.
- Compare, select, and commission laboratory automation solutions.
- Document and present results and technical design reviews.
- Configure and program laboratory automation solutions and troubleshoot them.
- Support processes from feasibility study through to a verified and validated production system.
- Coordinate with cross-functional team members.
- Monitor and evaluate new technologies and trends in laboratory automation.
- Experience with Tecan Fluent liquid handler.
- Experience with Thermo Fisher Momentum software.
- Experience with programming languages such as Python, C#, R, VB, or PLC programming.
- Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
- Knowledge of design of experiments (DoE).
- Project management experience.
- Knowledge of lean process and manufacturing design.
- Knowledge of good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good laboratory practices (GLP).
About the company
Thermo Fisher Scientific makes and sells the instruments, chemicals, consumables and lab services that drug companies, hospitals, universities and industrial labs use for research, testing and production. Its products cover work from gene sequencing and protein analysis to diagnostic tests and lab freezers, and its distribution arm ships supplies to labs worldwide. Drug developers also hire it to run clinical trials and to manufacture medicines under contract. It earns money from consumables that labs buy again and again, along with instrument sales, service contracts and outsourcing fees. The company traces its roots to Thermo Electron, founded in 1956, which merged with Fisher Scientific in 2006, and it is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Waltham, Massachusetts
Founded
1956
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Drugmaker demand is firming: revenue rose 10% to $11.99 billion in the June 2026 quarter, 5% excluding deals and currency.
- Profits are outpacing sales, which supports stock grants: adjusted earnings per share rose 13% in the June 2026 quarter.
- Career paths span many businesses: Thermo Fisher runs four segments, from diagnostics to contract drug development.
What critics are saying
- Factory jobs are shrinking: Thermo Fisher announced in January 2026 it will close its Asheville plant, cutting 421 jobs.
- Whole units get sold: microbiology, with $645 million in 2025 sales, went to buyout firm Astorg in August 2026.
- Cuts reach California too: Thermo Fisher filed in January 2026 to lay off 173 Carlsbad workers by March.
What makes Thermo Fisher Scientific unique
- Many familiar lab brands sit under one roof: Thermo Fisher owns Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen and Fisher Scientific.
- Thermo Fisher reaches labs through its own sales force of about 14,000 people, per its 2025 annual filing.
- Its trial-data unit Clario has supported about 70% of FDA and EMA novel drug approvals over the past decade.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Paid Vacation
- Paid Sick Leave
- Paid Holidays
- Hybrid Work Options
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- 401(k) Company Match