Staff Automation Engineer - Lab Automation at Illumina, Inc. in San Diego, California

Job Description:

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?

At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.

Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

Why Us

Illumina Laboratory Services (ILS) is an exciting and rewarding organization that conducts Illumina's Infinium microarray assays as a high-throughput commercial service, primarily supporting Ancestry DNA® and Embark® Vet. In addition, ILS applies core sequencing technology to the early clinical application of Whole Genome Sequencing (cWGS) to demonstrate the real-world impact of using genomics to improve human health. The team focuses on expanding the impact of cWGS screening to test for rare, undiagnosed genetic diseases (RUGD). Our goal for WGS is to provide additional value over genotyping and whole-exome sequencing, and provide support for Illumina's philanthropic causes like iConserve, accelerating wildlife conservation research. The San Diego Process Engineering and Support Team's (PEST's) Lab Automation Engineers are responsible for bringing transformative yet practical automation solutions to the lab and sustaining our deployed clinical workflows.

Why You

You are a seasoned expert in lab automation, with demonstrated experience in independently developing new methods for liquid handlers, and complex troubleshooting of a variety of instruments. You have experience and an interest in integration of automation pieces with LIMS software. You see yourself as someone who is positive, innovative, proactive, able to be a technical expert and drive projects forward to success. You thrive within a fast-paced environment, and enjoy spending hands-on time in the lab. You are passionate about improving human health by making a direct impact with your work on products that are being used in clinical services.

The Role

As part of the ILS PEST Lab Automation Team, you will use your extensive understanding of laboratory automation to drive the development and validation of our automated and high-throughput clinical laboratory services. You will understand what is available on the market, leading the evaluation of new automation solutions and driving strategic automation decisions. You will lead the development of new automated workflows and/or optimization of existing ones, from requirement gathering, to script programing, risk assessment, troubleshooting and validation. You will be a technical expert within a multi-disciplinary team working to ensure ILS products meet their stated claims, global regulatory requirements, and customer expectations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead planning and executing of technical cross-functional activities for new product introductions, drive design changes and evaluate performance of clinical workflows with a key focus on automation.


• Collaborate with Operations, Bioinformatics, Software, Quality and other teams as needed to support ILS product development, continuous improvement, and sustaining activities.


• Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis and resolution of complex automation problems, and work efficiently to reduce equipment downtime in the lab.


• Lead transition of manual workflows onto automated liquid handling equipment or optimization of existing workflows, in collaboration with clinical scientists, process engineers, and other stakeholders.


• Guide cross functional teams to execute verification/validation activities against predefined automation design requirements and specifications.


• Implement proactive risk mitigation within automation discipline.


• Evaluate new pieces of automation to implement in a clinical lab, develop business cases to justify their use, and drive their implementation strategy.


• Integrate automation components with other sub-systems such as LIMS.


• Improve and standardize automation business processes and documentation.


• Lead core teams on medium to large sized, multi-disciplinary projects.


• Communicate results and conclusions to aid in decision-making in a fast-paced environment.


• Analyze and interpret data. Summarize results in written and oral reports in conformance with quality system documentation needs.


• Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior automation engineers.

Requirements:

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree (Biology, Chemistry, Engineering or related); or 6 years and a Master's degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent experience.


• Hands on, extensive expertise in laboratory automation and liquid handling (e.g. Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman, Agilent, etc).


• Proficiency in designing, writing, and optimizing complex scripts on automated liquid handling platforms or automation scheduling software.


• Proficiency with optimization of pipetting accuracy, precision, and/or speed beyond default settings.


• Familiarity with automation integration with software such as LIMS.


• Excellent verbal/written communication and interpersonal skills.


• Experience in risk management.


• Proven ability to solve problems effectively and efficiently.


• Proven ability to plan strategically and influence cross-functional decisions.


• Analytical, detail-oriented, organized, and self-motivated team member.


• Must have a desire to be part of a fast-paced, dynamic, cross-functional environment.

Preferred:

• Experience with NGS library prep chemistry and automation.


• Experience with DNA extraction automation.


• Familiarity with a programming language (Python, C#) and knowledge of SDLC.

All listed responsibilities and requirements are deemed as essential functions to this position; however, business conditions may require reasonable accommodations for additional task and responsibilities.

The estimated base salary range for the Staff Automation Engineer - Lab Automation role based in the United States of America is: $115,800 - $173,800. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual's qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

At Illumina, we strive to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace by cultivating an environment in which everyone contributes to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always been rooted in openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative views and perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and demonstrate our collective commitment to diversity and inclusion in the communities we live and work. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf