Senior Automation Engineer (Sr. Eng I)

Moderna • Norwood, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Joining Moderna means advancing mRNA science to transform medicine. Work with exceptional global teams on a broad pipeline and build a career that makes a real difference for patients.” Moderna is strengthening its presence in Norwood, Massachusetts, a cornerstone of our manufacturing and operational excellence. Our Norwood campus translates mRNA science into scalable impact, supporting the global delivery of our medicines. We welcome talent ready to drive innovation and make a meaningful difference for patients worldwide. In this senior-level individual contributor role, you will design, develop, demonstrate, and continuously improve automated laboratory solutions for mammalian cell culture and plate-based bioanalytical assays. You will translate complex biological and assay requirements into robust, reliable automation systems that integrate multi-vendor instrumentation and modern software architectures. Partnering across Research, Technical Development, CMC, and Digital, you will deliver fit-for-purpose automation platforms that accelerate Moderna’s mRNA programs across multiple therapeutic areas.

Requirements

• BS/BA in Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline with at least 8 years of relevant experience
• Proven experience developing and integrating laboratory instruments (liquid handlers, plate readers/imagers, incubators, robotic plate movers, imaging/cytometry).
• Proficiency in a modern scripting or compiled language commonly used in lab automation and experience building robust, maintainable automation code.
• Strong troubleshooting skills: can isolate failure modes across mechanical, liquid handling, and software layers, identify root causes, drive implementation of corrective and preventative actions.
• Mammalian cell culture experience (sterile technique considerations, contamination control, incubation/handling constraints, viability impacts).
• Clear, adaptive communicator who can convey complex technical topics to both expert and non‑expert audiences.
• This position is site-based, requiring you to be at Moderna’s site full-time.
• This position is not eligible for remote work.

Nice To Haves

• MS/PhD in Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline.
• Direct automation experience with common cell-based bioassays (ELISA, potency assays, reporter assays), plate-based sample workflows, and high-throughput screening style approaches.
• Familiarity with lab informatics and data/traceability systems (LIMS, run metadata patterns, barcode/sample ID strategies).
• Experience with Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman or similar liquid handling platforms and vendor ecosystems.
• Exposure to systems engineering principles and robotics frameworks (ROS-Industrial, PLC communication strategies).
• Direct experience with nucleic acids (mRNA) and delivery chemistry (LNP) or related biological products in the Pharmaceutical industry
• Knowledge of design control principles appropriate to early and late stages of development (design controls, GxP, GMP, etc), and experience preparing technical documentation for Quality review.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver automated bioanalytical workflows.
• Lead end-to-end design and implementation of automated mammalian cell culture and bioassay workflows, including automated feeding and passaging, sterile handling steps, assay reagent preparation, plate handling and logistics, timed incubations, and plate read and analysis integration.
• Translate assay intent and biological constraints (timing, mixing, temperature/CO₂ control, sterility, cell sensitivity) into scalable and robust automation requirements and solutions.
• Develop automation software and controls.
• Build, maintain, and enhance automation software including scheduling logic, device drivers and interfaces, error handling frameworks, run logging, basic analytics hooks, and test harnesses.
• Apply modern engineering best practices such as version control, modular library development, structured code reviews, and maintainable architecture patterns.
• Enable connectivity to digital ecosystems and create foundations that allow future integration of advanced analytics and Generative AI–enabled workflow optimization.
• Instrument integration and systems engineering.
• Integrate multi-vendor laboratory instruments including liquid handlers, plate readers, imagers, incubators, robotic plate movers, and cytometers.
• Utilize industry-standard communication protocols such as OPC-UA, REST, TCP/IP, PLC interfaces, and manufacturer SDKs while maintaining strong device abstraction layers and reusable integration modules to ensure extensibility and long-term maintainability.
• Technical project ownership.
• Own execution of small-to-mid sized technical automation projects, including requirements definition, system architecture design, prototyping, integration testing, FAT/SAT-style validation activities, staged releases to end users, transition to sustainment, and incremental system improvements.
• Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, artifacts, and reproducible SOPs for scientists and operators.
• Cross-functional collaboration and vendor partnerships.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders across Research, Technical Development, CMC, and Digital to align automation solutions with evolving scientific and manufacturing needs.
• Engage external vendors to define requirements, perform system integrations, and maintain instrument uptime.
• Manage vendor relationships as needed to ensure successful integration, serviceability, and long-term performance.
• Sustainment and reliability.
• Support deployed automation systems through structured troubleshooting and root-cause analysis across mechanical systems, liquid handling performance, and software layers.
• Implement corrective and preventive actions that reduce downtime and improve reliability in high-throughput laboratory environments.
• Safety and sterility practices.
• Ensure sterile technique considerations are embedded in system design, workflows, and documentation.
• Apply contamination control strategies appropriate for automated mammalian cell culture environments, safeguarding cell health, assay integrity, and reproducibility.
• Mentorship and technical leadership.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in laboratory automation, mentoring junior engineers and scientists, elevating engineering rigor, and fostering a culture of scalable, platform-driven solutions.

Benefits

• Best-in-class healthcare coverage, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investment opportunities to help you plan for the future
• Location-specific perks and extras

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level