Senior Automation Support Engineer

Baylor Genetics • Houston, TX

67d

About The Position

This position will be scheduled on one of the following shifts: Friday - Tuesday 7am to 4pm or Friday - Tuesday 3pm - 12am. The role involves providing operational support, ensuring process reliability, maintaining documentation, and fostering collaboration within the team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Biotechnology, or related field.
• Over four years of experience in laboratory automation, robotics, and instrumentation, with proven expertise in diagnosing and resolving mechanical, electrical, and software issues across complex integrated platforms including liquid handlers such as Tecan and Beckman systems.
• Experience in a regulated laboratory environment (CAP, CLIA, NYS) with an understanding of documentation and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience optimizing liquid handling methods and workflows to improve throughput, precision, and reliability.
• Familiarity with laboratory information management systems (LIMS) and instrument integration.
• Hands-on experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation workflows and the automation of NGS library prep.
• Programming experience in VB, C, or C++ for method development.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on troubleshooting, calibration, repair, and maintenance for automated liquid handlers and related laboratory instruments such as plate readers, TapeStations, Bioanalyzer, etc.
• Diagnose and resolve complex mechanical, electrical, and software issues to minimize downtime and maintain production continuity.
• Perform and oversee preventive maintenance, calibration, and validation activities to ensure optimal system performance and compliance.
• Support equipment installation, relocation, and decommissioning.
• Track and manage equipment configurations, method updates, and change control documentation.
• Conduct detailed shift handoffs to communicate equipment status, ongoing issues, and pending actions to ensure operational continuity across shifts.
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring instrument issues and implement corrective actions to improve reliability and efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to validate hardware or software upgrades and new instrument integrations.
• Develop and maintain metrics for equipment performance, utilization, and preventive maintenance effectiveness.
• Maintain complete and accurate records, including service logs, maintenance histories, calibration certificates, and validation reports.
• Ensure all documentation and activities comply with CAP, CLIA, and internal Quality Management System (QMS) requirements.
• Support internal and external audits as a subject matter expert for automation systems.
• Mentor and train Automation Support Engineers and laboratory staff on proper operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting techniques.
• Serve as a liaison with vendors for technical escalations, service coordination, and warranty claims.
• Work closely with IT support to address connectivity and system control issues.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, and Lab Operations teams to maintain compliance and readiness for inspections.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Ambulatory Health Care Services
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees