Automation Engineer II

Danaher•Sunnyvale, CA

19h•Onsite

About The Position

The Automation Engineer II is responsible for developing, implementing, and sustaining automated liquid handling equipment, processes and protocols to support a n oligonucleotide synthesis platform and associated processing workflows. This position reports to th e Senior Man ager of Emerging Technologies and is part of Emerging Technologies, Platform Development group l ocated in Sunnyvale, CA and will be a full-time, on-site role. In this role, you will have the opportunity to: Drive the design, development, and optimization of automated liquid handling workflows for processing of oligonucleotide s , including PCR and other enzymatic reactions, purification and QC sample preparation. Collaborate cross-functionally with platform development engineers and scientists and operations teams to translate manual or semi ‑ automated protocols into robust, scalable automated workflows; create and revise SOPs, methods, and supporting documentation as needed. Lead or support troubleshooting and root cause analysis of automation ‑ related issues using structured problem ‑ solving approaches (e.g., 5 ‑ Why, Fishbone), and implement corrective improvements to protocols, scripts, and hardware configurations. Perform systematic evaluation of liquid handling performance (e.g., accuracy, precision, cross ‑ contamination ); analyze experimental and run data to identify trends, establish acceptance criteria, and support method qualification and technology transfer activities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Bioengineering, or related technical field with 4+ years of related work experience.
Hands-on experience developing, programming, and debugging automated liquid handling workflows using Beckman Coulter, Hamilton, Tecan, or similar instrumentation, including familiarity with scripting, method development and risk assessment for automated lab processes.
Experience automating biochemical or molecular biology workflows such as PCR, nucleic acid extraction or purification, dilution/normalization, or QC sample preparation in a laboratory or development environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing experiments or automation workflows with scalability in mind, including support for technology transfer from R&D into process development or manufacturing environments.
Experience applying structured continuous improvement tools (e.g., RCA, FMEA, value stream mapping) and working with data systems or LIMS to document methods, analyze performance, and support platform maturation and technology transfer.

Responsibilities

Drive the design, development, and optimization of automated liquid handling workflows for processing of oligonucleotides, including PCR and other enzymatic reactions, purification and QC sample preparation.
Collaborate cross-functionally with platform development engineers and scientists and operations teams to translate manual or semi-automated protocols into robust, scalable automated workflows; create and revise SOPs, methods, and supporting documentation as needed.
Lead or support troubleshooting and root cause analysis of automation-related issues using structured problem-solving approaches (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone), and implement corrective improvements to protocols, scripts, and hardware configurations.
Perform systematic evaluation of liquid handling performance (e.g., accuracy, precision, cross-contamination); analyze experimental and run data to identify trends, establish acceptance criteria, and support method qualification and technology transfer activities.