Automation Engineer

Who We Are:

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico’s highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.

Calico is seeking an experienced and motivated Automation Engineer to join our laboratory automation team. This person will be a key member of the team, focused on migrating assays and processes from bench-top to automated liquid handling systems and integrated robotic platforms. They will be building solutions for Calico’s core technology labs, enabling our scientists to accelerate their research.  

Creativity, analytical thinking, and the ability to troubleshoot and solve problems while maintaining a positive attitude are critical to success in this position. If you are an enthusiastic team player, detail-oriented, extremely organized, and comfortable working on complex problems, then we’d love to have you on the team.

• Collaborate with scientists and other engineers to design, create, and optimize novel workflows on automated liquid handling platforms
• Able to program complex processes on liquid handling systems, managing all aspects from requirements gathering to hands-on development and testing
• Plan and execute experiments to validate automated assays and ensure that systems are operating robustly and reliably
• Perform hands-on troubleshooting, recover from errors, and proactively maintain equipment
• Support maintenance and process improvement efforts across multiple technology labs
• Train and provide ongoing support to end-users on newly automated protocols and best practices
• Produce high-quality documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and troubleshooting procedures
• Identify and drive process and workflow improvements to increase throughput and efficiency within the lab environment
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and be productive in a cross-functional team environment, including working with scientists, managers, and IT

• BS/MS in an Engineering or Science discipline (e.g., Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, etc.)
• 4+ years of academic or industry experience directly related to laboratory automation
• Expertise with Hamilton liquid handling systems and proficiency with Hamilton VENUS for protocol development and scripting
• Knowledge of multiple commercial liquid handling systems (e.g., Tecan, Agilent Bravo, or similar platforms)
• Experience with assay development: liquid handling performance qualification, biological assay optimization, and inter-/intra- assay performance validation
• Proficiency with a major programming language (e.g., Python, C#, or similar) to interface with and extend automation capabilities
• Hands-on work with basic laboratory workflows in one or more life-science application areas: molecular biology, genomics, cell culture, high-throughput screening (HTS), or mass spectrometry
• Must be able to occasionally move and lift objects of up to 30lbs
• Must be willing to work onsite 5 days a week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $146,000 - $150,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.