Automation Engineer (Clinical Laboratory)
Caris Life Sciences
8 hours ago
On-site
Phoenix, AZ
Operations
Position Summary
- The Automation Engineer will propose, develop, test, and validate laboratory automation, with significant hands-on work with liquid handlers. Will take projects from conception through prototype, validation, and deployment. Collaborates with vendors, R&D, and Clinical teams to ensure robust, efficient, and adaptable automated solutions.
Job Responsibilities
- Program and develop methods for liquid handlers; modify/develop/implement/validate scripts and methods.
- Develop/optimize/validate custom liquid classes for proper volume transfer.
- Install, integrate, and maintain laboratory automation hardware/software, including third-party automation programming.
- Stress test systems/methods for robustness.
- Collaborate cross-functionally; participate in experiments and perform system validations.
- Ensure instruments/methods are validated per regulatory requirements.
- Author process documentation, conduct training, and support troubleshooting.
- Use data-driven insights to improve automation platforms (efficiency, reliability, scalability).
- Own projects; optimize methods/workflows; evaluate new technologies.
- Independently operate/troubleshoot/optimize lab instruments and automated platforms (liquid handlers, work cells, scheduling software, etc.).
- Contribute to software integration/testing; develop validation protocols, perform risk assessments, and align QC with regulatory requirements.
- Transition platforms from development to production (stability metrics, performance validation); review instrument data to identify trends/mitigate risks.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field.
- 0–2 years experience in lab automation/equipment, R&D, or clinical lab roles.
- Exposure to liquid handler scripting (Tecan, Hamilton, Bravo, etc.).
- Understanding of liquid classes development/testing.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; flexibility for multiple concurrent projects.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration, organization, written/verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Exceptional project/time management; multitask in fast-paced environment.
- Ability to conceptualize/analyze/implement process changes; aptitude to learn new technologies for large/small scale automation.
Preferred Qualifications
- ASCP Certification.
- 2+ years in CAP/CLIA/FDA-regulated laboratory; high-throughput CAP/CLIA, ISO 13485/15189, GMP environment.
- Familiarity with standard lab automation platforms and equipment; validation testing.
- Software development experience (e.g., C#, Python); method design/development and liquid class optimization.
- Experience with SolidWorks/modeling; large-scale automation.
Other
- Onsite during normal business hours; may require after-hours emergency response.
- Ability to sit/stand/work at a computer for long periods; potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens, extreme temperatures, high noise, fumes, and lab chemicals (e.g., formalin).
Training
- Job-specific, safety, and compliance training assigned based on job functions.
- The Automation Engineer will propose, develop, test, and validate laboratory automation, with significant hands-on work with liquid handlers. Will take projects from conception through prototype, validation, and deployment. Collaborates with vendors, R&D, and Clinical teams to ensure robust, efficient, and adaptable automated solutions.
Job Responsibilities
- Program and develop methods for liquid handlers; modify/develop/implement/validate scripts and methods.
- Develop/optimize/validate custom liquid classes for proper volume transfer.
- Install, integrate, and maintain laboratory automation hardware/software, including third-party automation programming.
- Stress test systems/methods for robustness.
- Collaborate cross-functionally; participate in experiments and perform system validations.
- Ensure instruments/methods are validated per regulatory requirements.
- Author process documentation, conduct training, and support troubleshooting.
- Use data-driven insights to improve automation platforms (efficiency, reliability, scalability).
- Own projects; optimize methods/workflows; evaluate new technologies.
- Independently operate/troubleshoot/optimize lab instruments and automated platforms (liquid handlers, work cells, scheduling software, etc.).
- Contribute to software integration/testing; develop validation protocols, perform risk assessments, and align QC with regulatory requirements.
- Transition platforms from development to production (stability metrics, performance validation); review instrument data to identify trends/mitigate risks.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field.
- 0–2 years experience in lab automation/equipment, R&D, or clinical lab roles.
- Exposure to liquid handler scripting (Tecan, Hamilton, Bravo, etc.).
- Understanding of liquid classes development/testing.
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; flexibility for multiple concurrent projects.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration, organization, written/verbal communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Exceptional project/time management; multitask in fast-paced environment.
- Ability to conceptualize/analyze/implement process changes; aptitude to learn new technologies for large/small scale automation.
Preferred Qualifications
- ASCP Certification.
- 2+ years in CAP/CLIA/FDA-regulated laboratory; high-throughput CAP/CLIA, ISO 13485/15189, GMP environment.
- Familiarity with standard lab automation platforms and equipment; validation testing.
- Software development experience (e.g., C#, Python); method design/development and liquid class optimization.
- Experience with SolidWorks/modeling; large-scale automation.
Other
- Onsite during normal business hours; may require after-hours emergency response.
- Ability to sit/stand/work at a computer for long periods; potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens, extreme temperatures, high noise, fumes, and lab chemicals (e.g., formalin).
Training
- Job-specific, safety, and compliance training assigned based on job functions.