Staff Engineer, Advanced Automation & Systems Integration

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Pleasanton, CA

18h

About The Position

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Genetic Sciences Division is developing automated, connected, and AI-enabled workflows for next-generation genetic-analysis platforms. The Staff Engineer, Advanced Automation & Systems Integration will develop and demonstrate laboratory automation capabilities by integrating GSD instruments and consumables with robots, liquid handlers, workflow software, and data systems. The role turns advanced concepts into reusable platform capabilities and combines hands-on automation experience, systems thinking, and an understanding of genomic workflows in biopharma.

The engineer will build working systems, test complete workflows, and collaborate with customers and automation partners to shape sample-to-answer and Lab-of-the-Future solutions. The role spans automation concept development, instrument and robotics integration, genomic workflow testing, intelligent automation, strategic partner relationships, and transitioning successful concepts into product capabilities. It also includes mentoring engineers and providing technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams.

This role will help transform advanced automation, robotics, and AI concepts into validated capabilities that strengthen GSD products, customer workflows, and future Lab-of-the-Future solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in systems, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, robotics, software, or biomedical engineering, or a related discipline.
• Substantial experience integrating instruments with robotics, liquid handlers, or laboratory automation.
• Demonstrated success building, testing, and demonstrating automated scientific workflows.
• Experience working with automation vendors, technology partners, and external customers.
• Experience developing concepts from feasibility through verification or product transition.
• Experience providing technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong knowledge of robotics, laboratory automation, liquid handling, and instrument integration.
• Experience with mechanical and electrical interfaces, device-control APIs, communications, and workflow orchestration.
• Experience with scheduling, error recovery, safety, sample handling, and traceability.
• Proficiency with Python, C++, C#, Java, or comparable programming languages.
• Experience with automated testing, simulation, system diagnostics, and root-cause analysis.
• Understanding of genomic workflows used in biopharma, including sample preparation and nucleic-acid analysis.
• Practical understanding of AI/ML applications in automation, experimentation, and intelligent control.
• Ability to turn ambiguous workflow needs into working systems, understand customer science, and think in reusable platforms rather than one-off demonstrations.
• Ability to build relationships with customers, partners, and internal teams; test assumptions quickly; communicate risks early; influence without direct authority; and mentor other engineers.
• Ability to balance experimentation and speed with reliability and product viability.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with leading automation vendors and partner ecosystems.

Responsibilities

• Develop automation concepts integrating instruments, consumables, assays, robotics, software, and data.
• Translate customer needs and emerging scientific workflows into requirements and system concepts.
• Build prototypes and proof-of-concept systems to address important technical uncertainties.
• Lead trade studies considering throughput, flexibility, walk-away time, usability, reliability, and cost.
• Evaluate concepts for customer value, technical feasibility, scalability, and product potential, and align them with GSD system architecture and reusable platform foundations.
• Integrate GSD instruments and consumables with robots, liquid handlers, conveyors, and other laboratory equipment.
• Define physical, mechanical, electrical, communications, software, and safety interfaces.
• Develop instrument-control APIs, device drivers, protocols, and workflow abstractions.
• Create solutions for scheduling, synchronization, sample handling, traceability, and error recovery.
• Troubleshoot issues across robotics, instruments, firmware, software, networks, and scientific workflows.
• Design reusable integration patterns that can scale across products, customers, and automation platforms.
• Build and execute automated workflows for biopharma and genomic applications.
• Develop test strategies covering normal operation, edge cases, recovery, and extended unattended use.
• Evaluate throughput, reliability, sample integrity, contamination control, and data traceability.
• Demonstrate working systems to customers, partners, and internal stakeholders; support customer evaluations, co-development, and early technology pilots.
• Translate testing and user feedback into technical requirements and product recommendations.
• Develop sample-to-answer and multi-instrument workflow capabilities and Lab-in-the-Loop concepts that use experimental data and real-time feedback to adapt or optimize workflows.
• Apply AI to experimental planning, scheduling, anomaly detection, recovery, and workflow optimization, and use AI-assisted engineering to accelerate interface development, test generation, failure analysis, and documentation.
• Define data, compute, and integration needs for intelligent automation, ensuring AI-enabled concepts include appropriate validation, traceability, cybersecurity, and human oversight.
• Develop technical relationships with robotics, liquid-handling, automation-software, and integration companies.
• Maintain knowledge of automation vendors, platforms, and interface standards; evaluate partners for compatibility, scalability, reliability, and strategic value.
• Lead joint architecture, integration, testing, and technical problem-solving, and identify co-development or productized partner opportunities.
• Partner with Advanced Technology, System Architecture, and product teams to mature successful concepts.
• Identify productization needs involving reliability, cost, manufacturability, serviceability, and quality.
• Develop reusable interface standards, simulators, test tools, and integration documentation.
• Prepare prototypes, data, requirements, and technical learning for transfer to product teams; support early product integration and resolve transition risks.
• Mentor engineers in automation architecture and cross-disciplinary integration.

Benefits

• Choice of national medical and dental plans and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs.
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement.
• At least 120 hours of paid time off (PTO) and 10 paid holidays annually.
• Paid parental leave, including 3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave.
• Accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy.
• Competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan.
• Employees’ Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), offering eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount.
• Potential eligibility for a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy.

What This Job Offers

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