What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Automation Engineer position at Parallel Biosystems?
Job Description
Job Description
At Parallel Bio, we are using the immune system to unlock safer, more effective drugs. By creating access to genuine human biology in a diverse, reproducible, and scalable way we’re changing the way researchers find, test, refine, and deliver these life-changing therapies.
The human immune system is the master regulator of health and disease in our bodies. Current tools used to discover drugs that target the immune system are wildly inadequate. To fix this critical gap, Parallel Bio created a human ‘immune system in a dish’ to rapidly accelerate the development of new drugs and immunotherapies more likely to work in patients. This means developing drugs that are known to safely work in humans before the first patient receives the first dose and an end to needlessly destroying millions of lab animals in the pursuit of human health.
By blending this biological innovation with the latest in high-throughput lab automation and integrated data capture & analysis, we’re creating a new type of biotech – one that brings the advantages of cloud computing to next-generation wet lab studies.
Why Work With Us
As a biologist, joining our team means :
Pushing forward the understanding of how the immune system functions with real-world experimentation.
Helping create new experimental methods that can be repeated and varied from the keyboard instead of the bench.
Learning modern data & software practices - techniques considered beyond the cutting-edge in biotech.
Creating experiments where copies of the same organism can be held constant - either for varied treatments or repeated across replicants to drive down scientific uncertainty.
Access to diverse populations varied by sex, age, race, medical history can be used repeatedly and repeatably.
As a technologist, joining our team means bringing the rigor and scalability of computing into the biological domain :
Work a problem with clear benefits for humanity. This is work worth doing.
Bring modern software and data practices to biotech, an industry still catching up on 15 years of big data tech evolution.
The breadth of our systems is breath-taking : from low-level robotics programming to data science & visualization to AI models of immune response and everything in-between. As a small team we tend to work across these areas rather than be siloed into one of them.
Software is a first-class product concern at Parallel Bio, not a cost-center / service organization. We operate wet labs but we ship data-as-a-product.
Learn the intricacies of the biological computing system that is the human immune system : antibody selection and production is a complex search problem.
Responsibilities
This role is a foundational role for Parallel Bio. As our first dedicated automation engineer, you will be responsible for :
Evaluation and selection of lab robotics.
Developing automation routines to increase the capacity and throughput in our immunology lab including organoid seeding and culturing, media changes, and assay preparation.
Work with the software engineering team to define end-to-end automation and data capture for our high-throughput facility.
Collaborate on developing strategy for expanding the automation discipline and team at Parallel Bio.
As the first automation engineer, you will be instrumental in defining and nurturing our culture and practice around the development and use of automation. This role is a mix of technical execution, design, and company-building.
This role reports directly to the Head of Technology and is a potential path to senior leadership as the company grows.
Job Requirements
Note to candidates : the requirements listed here are an exhaustive list of useful traits but not a hard list of requirements. Candidates who don't fulfill one or more of the listed requirements but whom still think they are strong candidates are encouraged to apply.
Technical Abilities
Ability to collaborate closely with immunologists and lab staff on the biological aspects of automation.
5 years of relevant experience in automation engineering, preferably within the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industries.
Significant experience working with cell culturing workflows.
Proven track record of designing and implementing automation for laboratory or manufacturing automation.
Expertise in robotic systems integration, liquid handling systems (e.g., Tecan, Hamilton), and high-throughput screening technologies.
Familiarity with using programming languages (e.g., Python) for automation system development and customization and beyond.
Organizational Abilities
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in the development of new workflows and custom automation solutions.
Ability to mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership on complex projects.
Strong project management skills with experience overseeing the entire lifecycle of automation projects—from concept through commissioning and validation.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring adherence to timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards.
Excellent problem-solving skills with a proven ability to troubleshoot complex automation issues in real-time.
Strong communication skills for effective collaboration with internal teams as well as external vendors.
Attendance and participation at industry conferences and expos to keep up with the latest technologies and innovations, and to foster vendor relationships.
Knowledge and experience adhering to regulatory requirements and safety guidelines.
Ability to work independently while managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Compensation Range : $174K - $186K
Salary : $174,000 - $186,000