Senior Automation Engineer @ Ginkgo Bioworks

Senior Automation Engineer

Posted on 12/21/2022

INACTIVE

Locations

Dorchester, Boston, MA, USA

Experience Level

Entry

Junior

Mid

Senior

Expert

Responsibilities

Develop and code review software to drive operation of laboratory instruments and robotics including using best practices for developing and maintaining the codebase
Developing automated experimental workflows for genetic engineering processes, strain cultivation, sample preparation, and multi-omics analysis
Writing software for data acquisition, retrieval, and processing
Collaborating with biologists on automation equipment operation
Designing and building integrated automation infrastructure, including work cells for executing high-throughput processes, as well as flexible distributed automation tooling
Training automation users on workflows and best practices
Validating and QC'ing automated protocols
Mentoring junior automation engineers

Desired Qualifications

MS or PhD in engineering or equivalent experience in addition to industry experience
Experience in software development with an interest in laboratory automation
Comfortable with at least one major programming language, e.g. Python, C#, C/C++, or Java (familiarity with multiple is a plus, experience maintaining large codebases is a plus)
Experience with Automated Liquid Handlers
Experience with “design of experiment” (DoE)
Experience with laboratory automation systems and experimental workflow development
Practical knowledge of high-throughput biological processes
Experience in hardware development, integration, and testing

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.

We’re looking for talented engineers who are excited by the challenges of scaling and improving our foundry. Because it touches nearly every part of the foundry, the Automation Team is integral to Ginkgo’s vision for the future. The Automation Team is creating integrated robotic workcells, designing processes around walk-up robotic systems, improving how data is handled, working with scientists on scaling their processes, and much more.

All the work we do is in service of increasing Ginkgo’s capacity in terms of the number of strains engineered and the diversity of species and products we can handle. It’s an enormous challenge and we need people who are eager to get started. You’ll be working hand in hand with biologists, software developers, and other engineers to co-develop the wetware, hardware, and software infrastructure that underpin the foundry.

To learn more about automation engineering at Ginkgo, take a look at this blog post: Day in the Life: Kristen.

#LI-DW1

Responsibilities

Develop and code review software to drive operation of laboratory instruments and robotics including using best practices for developing and maintaining the codebase
Developing automated experimental workflows for genetic engineering processes, strain cultivation, sample preparation, and multi-omics analysis
Writing software for data acquisition, retrieval, and processing
Collaborating with biologists on automation equipment operation
Designing and building integrated automation infrastructure, including work cells for executing high-throughput processes, as well as flexible distributed automation tooling
Training automation users on workflows and best practices
Validating and QC’ing automated protocols
Mentoring junior automation engineers

Desired Experience and Capabilities

MS or PhD in engineering or equivalent experience in addition to industry experience
Experience in software development with an interest in laboratory automation
Comfortable with at least one major programming language, e.g. Python, C#, C/C++, or Java (familiarity with multiple is a plus, experience maintaining large codebases is a plus)
Experience with Automated Liquid Handlers
Experience with “design of experiment” (DoE)
Experience with laboratory automation systems and experimental workflow development
Practical knowledge of high-throughput biological processes
Experience in hardware development, integration, and testing

To learn more about Ginkgo, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com/press/ or check out some curated press below:

What is it really like to take your company public via a SPAC? One Boston biotech shares its journey (Fortune)

Ginkgo Bioworks resizes the definition of going big in biotech, raising $2.5B in a record SPAC deal that weighs in with a whopping $15B-plus valuation (Endpoints News)

Ginkgo Bioworks CEO on scaling up Covid-19 testing: ‘If we try, we can win’ (CNBC)

Ginkgo raises $70 million to ramp up COVID-19 testing for employers, universities (Boston Globe)

Ginkgo Bioworks Redirects Its Biotech Platform to Coronavirus (Wall Street Journal)

Ginkgo Bioworks Provides Support on Process Optimization to Moderna for COVID-19 Response (PRNewswire)

The Life Factory: Synthetic Organisms From This $1.4 Billion Startup Will Revolutionize Manufacturing (Forbes)

Synthetic Bio Pioneer Ginkgo Raises $290 Million in New Funding (Bloomberg)

Ginkgo Bioworks raises $350 million fund for biotech spinouts (Reuters)

Can This Company Convince You to Love GMOs? (The Atlantic)

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.

501-1,000 employees

Website

Biological engineering products developer

Company Overview

Ginkgo Bioworks’ mission is to make biology easier to engineer. The company designs custom microorganisms for customers across multiple industries.

Benefits

Unlimited paid time off
Comprehensive health and parental leave benefits
Flexible work options
Commuter benefits
State-of-the-art labs, work spaces, and conference rooms
Competitive 401K contribution

Company Core Values

Fostering a diverse & inclusive environment
Promoting individual growth & career development
Encouraging creativity & innovation
Celebrating passion & drive
Keeping Ginkgo weird
Caring how our platform is used