Job Summary
Are you passionate about advancing scientific discovery through laboratory automation and innovative technologies?IFF is a global leader in enzymes, ingredients, health & biosciences. We deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.
Health & Biosciences: Channeling our passion for nature and bioscience into sustainable, life-enhancing technologies that power innovative solutions across healthcare, food, consumer, and industrial markets.
The role is based in Palo Alto, California (on-site role). Be part of an innovative, collaborative, and solution-oriented team where together we can achieve greatness and make a real impact. Your potential is our inspiration.
Where You'll Make a Difference
- Partner with Research & Development scientists to identify automation opportunities and implement high-throughput and automated laboratory solutions.
- Design, build, optimize, and scale automated laboratory workflows that improve efficiency, quality, and scientific outcomes.
- Translate molecular biology, biochemistry, and analytical workflows into automated protocols and robust laboratory processes.
- Evaluate emerging technologies, instruments, and automation platforms to support innovation and continuous improvement.
- Leverage data and scientific insights to identify process improvements and enhance data quality and metadata capture.
- Provide technical support for laboratory automation hardware and software, coordinating maintenance and troubleshooting.
- Collaborate with data science, Information Technology, and facility teams to strengthen data management capabilities.
- Support laboratory operations and infrastructure to ensure efficient execution of research activities.
- Partner with global teams to support technology transfers and promote best practices across research sites.
What Makes You the Right Fit
- Master's degree or higher in Life Sciences, Engineering, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or a related field.
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in laboratory automation.
- Designed, developed, and maintained low-level control software and device integrations for laboratory instruments or robotic devices.
- Demonstrated expertise translating wet-lab biologics workflows into automated solutions, with experience in building, programming and orchestrating integrated laboratory systems, and operating automated liquid-handling, sample-handling, and laboratory robotics.
- Experience supporting high-throughput screening workflows.
- Programming experience with Python or similar languages.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
How Would You Stand Out?
- Experience evaluating and implementing emerging laboratory automation technologies.
- Demonstrated ability to translate laboratory workflows into automation concepts, collaborate with vendors, completed factory and site acceptance testing, and successfully implement the system in the laboratory
- Low level programming of laboratory instruments or robotics devices
- Knowledge of laboratory data management systems and scientific data infrastructure.
- Adaptable, proactive, and continuously focused on learning and process improvement.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to help solve and innovate the technical processes and advancements in automating laboratory tools.
Why Choose Us?
- Competitive Benefits (US): Our benefit package includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k), vacation, holidays, 16 weeks paid parental leave (maternity and paternity), and an annual bonus plan. IFF was also recognized by Newsweek as one of America's Greatest Workplaces for Perks & Benefits.
- Diversity & Inclusion (US): IFF has been recognized previously in the US on the Disability Equality Index® – Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion
- Innovation: Gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies and trailblazing advancements in biotechnology. Meaningful work helping advance solutions for protein & strain engineering, biochemistry and related technologies.
- Global Collaboration: Be part of a global organization that values innovation, creativity, and collaborating amongst our diverse, cross-functional teams
- Sustainability: Contribute to solutions that support a safer, healthier, and more sustainable world. IFF was recognized on the Forbes Net Zero Leaders 2026 list within the chemicals/materials sector.
Desired Compensation Range: $130,000-$150,000 base salary
We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.
Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more
Salary Ranges:
Skills Required
- Master’s degree or higher in Life Sciences, Engineering, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, or a related field
- At least 7 years of experience in laboratory automation
- Experience designing, developing, and maintaining low-level control software and device integrations for laboratory instruments or robotic devices
- Experience translating wet-lab biologics workflows into automated solutions
- Experience building, programming, and orchestrating integrated laboratory systems
- Experience operating automated liquid-handling, sample-handling, and laboratory robotics systems
- Experience supporting high-throughput screening workflows
- Programming experience with Python or similar languages
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- Experience evaluating and implementing emerging laboratory automation technologies
- Experience translating laboratory workflows into automation concepts and collaborating with vendors
- Experience completing factory and site acceptance testing and implementing systems in laboratories
- Low-level programming of laboratory instruments or robotics devices
- Knowledge of laboratory data management systems and scientific data infrastructure
- Adaptable, proactive, continuous-learning, and process-improvement orientation
IFF Family of Companies Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about IFF Family of Companies and has not been reviewed or approved by IFF Family of Companies.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive in many roles and locations, and compensation is often described as good.
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Parental & Family Support — A global minimum of 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for all new parents is in place. This policy is positioned as a notable component of the overall package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Core offerings include paid time off, sick days, holidays, and sabbatical leave. Flexible scheduling options such as compressed workweeks and hybrid/remote arrangements are available where feasible.
IFF Family of Companies Insights
What We Do
Meet IFF: We boldly bring together science and creativity to create what the world needs. An industry leader in food, beverage, health and biosciences, we create essential solutions – from global icons to unexpected innovations and experiences. Equal parts outspoken and analytical, our international collective of thinkers working with customers to bring scents, tastes, experiences, ingredients and solutions for products people crave. With 24,000 employees across 65 countries, more than 110 manufacturing facilities, 100 R&D centers, and 33,000 customers across the world, we’re poised to make a difference on an unprecedented scale. Without our boundary-pushing passion and end-to-end expertise, the future wouldn’t be the same. Visit us at www.iff.com to learn more about how our talented people and new technology are challenging the expected, championing creators and doing more good for people and planet. Explore what sets us apart.
