We are seeking an Automation Engineer to contribute to the development, implementation, and optimization of innovative lab automation systems. The role involves enabling scalable and robust end-to-end automated workflows for high-throughput cell therapy manufacturing QC testing.
The successful candidate will play a key role in developing and managing liquid handling methods, as well as supporting the integration of specified off-the-shelf instruments and custom hardware within a fully automated workcell. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, the hire will contribute to iterating on various aspects of system designs and developing strategies for workflow optimization. Additionally, the role involves leading the development and testing of specific verification and validation plans for our automation systems
Candidates should enjoy working in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment and be prepared to tackle a broad selection of challenges as the company grows.
Responsibilities
- Transfer and validated manual to automated QC workflow steps
- Develop, validate, and optimize automated methods for sample preparation, analysis, and data collection
- Design and execute validation experiments to optimize assay and workflow parameters
- Conduct verification and validation testing of integrated systems to verify proper functionality and performance
- Analyze automation workflows to identify bottlenecks and areas for optimization
- Implement troubleshooting methodologies to identify and resolve complex assay method issues
Requirements
- Bachelor's or higher degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Biotechnology, or a related field
- 4+ years of experience designing, implementing, and maintaining laboratory automation systems
- Experience programming and optimizing liquid handling methods
- Experience developing and implementing integrated automation solutions using Biosero’s Green Button Go software
- Experience with laboratory analytical instruments and automated systems
- Experience integrating and managing assay results with LIMS
- Familiar with flow cytometry, genomic, and cell-based assays
- Strong technical writing skills and experience authoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), documentation, and training materials
- Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or C#
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot technical issues
- Strong communication skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
- Attention to detail and the ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
- Creative, self-motivated, eager to take on a wide variety of tasks and grow with the evolving technology
- Self-awareness, integrity, authenticity, and a growth mindset
This is Cellares
Cellares is the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) and takes an Industry 4.0 approach to mass manufacturing the living drugs of the 21st century. The company is both developing and operating integrated technologies for cell therapy manufacturing to accelerate access to life-saving cell therapies. The company’s Cell Shuttle integrates all the technologies required for the entire manufacturing process in a flexible and high-throughput platform that delivers true walk-away, end-to-end automation. Cell Shuttles will be deployed in Cellares’ Smart Factories around the world to meet total patient demand for cell therapies at global scale. Partnering with Cellares enables academics, biotechs, and pharma companies to accelerate drug development and scale out manufacturing, lower process failure rates, lower manufacturing costs, and meet global patient demand.
The company is headquartered in South San Francisco, California with its commercial-scale IDMO Smart Factory in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The company is backed by world-class investors and has raised over $355 million in financing.
Leveling will be based on overall experience, education, and demonstration of knowledge throughout the interview process.
Top Skills
What We Do
Cellares is revolutionizing cell therapy manufacturing. We are developing a one-of-a-kind solution, The Cell Shuttle, to overcome the challenges associated with manufacturing so these life-saving therapies are affordable and widely available to patients who can benefit.
The clinical impact of cell therapy in treating cancer has been proven, but this therapeutic approach has several limitations, especially in manufacturing, leaving extremely sick patients waiting for treatment and desperate for hope.
Since cell therapy is currently produced for a single patient at a time, it is expensive to manufacture, requiring significant time and resources, and is difficult to scale.
Preclinical and clinical scientists, as well as commercial cell therapy manufacturers also lack the options to fully automate their manufacturing process quickly, safely, cost-effectively and at the scale they need.
The Cell Shuttle is an automated and closed end-to-end manufacturing solution that is flexible and scalable, enabling customers to run exact processes specified for their cell therapy. Compared with the current manual manufacturing processes for cell therapy, the Cell Shuttle’s next-generation automated manufacturing solution has 10 times the scalability (meaning 10 times more patient doses can be produced simultaneously), enables a three-fold reduction in process failure rates and will reduce the per-patient manufacturing cost by up to 70 percent for most processes.
