Automation Engineer II/Sr. Automation Engineer
GRAIL is a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. GRAIL is focused on alleviating the global burden of cancer by developing pioneering technology to detect and identify multiple deadly cancer types early. The company is using the power of next-generation sequencing, population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to enhance the scientific understanding of cancer biology, and to develop its multi-cancer early detection blood test. GRAIL is headquartered in Menlo Park, CA with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. GRAIL, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ:ILMN). For more information, please visit www.grail.com.
GRAIL’s R&D team is building innovative processes and automation systems that are capable of delivering tests at an unprecedented scale. We are seeking passionate and hardworking individuals to join us in realizing our mission, which has the potential to dramatically reduce the global burden of cancer.
Position Summary:
The Automation Engineer II / Senior Automation Engineer - Integration and Scale will join a multi-functional development team that includes automation, process, and software engineering, along with R&D scientists, and clinical operations personnel. This team is responsible for transitioning manual and semi-automated workflows to a new fully-automated robotics platform. This position will play a key role in tying together automated laboratory liquid handling systems, robotic work-cell automation and robust industrial automation systems into a new NGS-based clinical diagnostic system capable of running millions of patient samples per year. The candidate will be experienced in the integration of components and devices from a variety of vendors with custom-built software solutions.
You will:
- Drive the management and installation of a large fully automated state of the art novel NGS-based clinical diagnostic testing system within a regulated environment.
- Develop, configure, program, and troubleshoot instrumentation and integrated work-cells along with other automated solutions.
- Provide expertise as a conduit to external contractors, suppliers, and integrated system providers in the design of large scale automated solutions.
- Develop and document work under design control and quality management systems, policies and procedures.
- Perform research, development, verification and validation testing per project needs.
- Author, execute and document test plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for automated workflows.
- Support and grow the automation needs of GRAIL Research as needed.
- Monitor and evaluate new and emerging technologies in laboratory automation systems
Your qualifications and background will include:
- B.S. or M.S. in Engineering with preference for Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Controls, or Process Engineering or a related Science field with appropriate automation experience.
- 3 +years experience with automation systems and transferring complex workflows into a high-throughput operation in the life science industry.
- Experience implementing and troubleshooting robotic work-cells or fully integrated systems, preferably in a laboratory automation environment.
- Demonstrated project management skills in automation projects involving internal and external teams.
- Demonstrated delivery of automated systems into production environments.
- Analytical, creative thinker, ability to solve problems.
- Effective organizational and time management skills.
- Highly energetic and self-motivated. Able to work independently and as part of a team.
- Experience writing and optimizing scripts on automated liquid handling platforms (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman, etc.)
- Experience with the design and prototyping of parts/assemblies using CAD systems (e.g. SolidWorks, Inventor, etc.)
- Experience with NGS or nucleic acid sample preparation methods is desirable.
- Experience working with a broad set of laboratory instruments and tools. Knowledge of experimental design
- Experience working in a regulated environment (CLIA / CAP / FDA / ISO).
Desired:
GRAIL is an Equal Employment Office and Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We will reasonably accommodate all individuals with disabilities so that they can participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Following extensive monitoring, research, consideration of business implications, and advice from internal and external experts, GRAIL has made the decision to require all U.S. employees receive the COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment. “Full vaccination” is defined as two weeks after both doses of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks since a single-dose vaccine has been administered. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or disability that prevents them from being vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.