Automation Engineer 1

This position is onsite required (3-4 per week) at Ginkgo's Emeryville, CA office, and may follow a 4/10 schedule (10AM-8PM, four days per week) with a rotational third shift (8PM-4AM PT) requirement.

Come join Ginkgo Automation, where cutting-edge technology meets scientific expertise. Our platform, built on eight years of internal development, offers advanced hardware solutions called Reconfigurable Automation Carts (RACs) powered by our subscription-based Catalyst products: Automation Control Software (ACS) and Managed Automation Services. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by scientists and engineers, our team has created a modular automation platform that aims to revolutionize the way science is done. We are an externally facing team, selling our technology to customers and supporting it at their sites.

The Automation BU is growing with a new mandate of external sales and support. A primary differentiator of our offering is Managed Automation Services (MAS), which involves our SAE team actively monitoring deployed RAC systems and remotely recovering within a short Service Level Agreement (SLA). All members of this team must be highly trained with lab automation instrumentation in addition to being the global experts on our own scheduling and control software and our integration hardware. The members of this team are monitoring all deployed RAC systems and rapidly responding to errors, in addition to working on continuous improvement projects across the RAC tech stack.  

As a member of the Automation Support Applications Engineering team, you are at the intersection of technology development, deployment to the customer site and continual support of the deployed technology. Your goal is to understand and translate the needs of the customer and to work alongside Automation Scientists, Software Engineers, and Mechatronics Engineers to turn a scoped integrated automation system into a real, production-ready system. Additionally, your goal is to ensure the customer maintains system uptime and operational throughput. This role requires strong attention to detail, collaborative communication and project management skills to excel. 

To learn more about automation engineering at Ginkgo, take a look at our website: Ginkgo Automation

Responsibilities:

• Create and continuously refine deployment playbooks including initial setup and configuration of our automation products, factory acceptance testing (FAT), and site acceptance testing (SAT). 
• Actively lead critical portions of system setup, configuration, FAT, SAT, and post-install stabilization – execute test plans, tune hardware/software parameters, and make real-time engineering decisions that ensure each RAC/Tile system meets acceptance criteria and transitions smoothly into routine operation.
• Develop and validate automation scripts / configuration templates that standardize installs and reduce manual effort across the Deployment team.
• Author and own SOPs, troubleshooting guides, and training material to keep documentation compliant and accessible as a single source of truth.
• Execute or guide remote recovery efforts with customers, diagnosing root causes and executing corrective actions for instrument or integration level failures.

Perform and periodically audit the recurring PM program, ensuring tasks, frequencies, and parts lists meet reliability goals; train and certify customer operators and technicians on execution

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related technical field and 0-3 years of relevant experience; or
• An equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible, hands-on experience (e.g., 3+ years in laboratory automation, instrumentation, or related technical work) that demonstrates the same level of knowledge and ability.  
• On-site presence required 3-4 days/week (Emeryville, CA), strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences. 
• Proactive problem-solving mindset and the ability to adapt in fast-paced environments. 
• Customer-focused approach, balancing customer needs while considering technical feasibility.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; ability to convey concepts and priorities, as well as an ability to solicit and/or accept feedback.
• Eager to learn and grow, staying up to date with new technologies and industry developments.
• Self-motivated and capable of managing time and tasks with minimal supervision.
• This position may follow a 4/10 schedule (10AM-8PM, four days per week) with a rotational third shift (8PM-4AM PT) requirement.
• Occasional travel to customer sites for 1-2 weeks to conduct SAT (less than 10% total time). 
• Ability to bend, reach, and lift, push, or pull up to 25lbs. Ability to stand or walk for long periods of time. Repetitive action may be required while performing tasks.

Preferred Capabilities & Experience

We do not expect that any one candidate will have all of the following capabilities - each is independently a preferred or “nice-to-have” capability.

• Experience in a customer-facing role with an explicit Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Experience in operating, troubleshooting, or maintaining laboratory automation equipment or other complex automated machinery.
• Experience in the Life Science industry, ideally in a lab or research setting. Proven track record of working in high-stakes environments, contributing to significant scientific advancements and operational improvements.
• Experience in workflow/process scheduling software or interacting with multi-device systems. Expertise in managing complex workflows and integrating multiple devices to optimize laboratory processes and enhance productivity.

Total compensation for this role is market driven, with a starting salary of $70k+, as well as company stock awards.  Base pay is ultimately determined based on a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience.  We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, Employee Assistance Program, 401(k) program with employer contribution, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.