Automation Lead Laboratory & Data Platforms

Zifo is a global specialist scientific and process informatics services company supporting life sciences, biotech, and pharmaceutical organizations. We enable digital transformation across R&D, manufacturing, and quality by delivering data-driven, scalable, and compliant software solutions.

Zifo is seeking an experienced Scientific Automation Lead to drive the design, architecture, and delivery of scalable, compliant automation solutions across scientific and laboratory workflows. The role sits at the intersection of science, laboratory informatics, data, integration, cloud, and automation technologies, partnering with scientists, laboratory users, technical teams, and client stakeholders to identify automation opportunities and translate complex experimental workflows into robust, production-ready solutions spanning scientific system integrations, data components, workflow orchestration, AI-enabled capabilities, and next-generation data pipelines.

The Automation Lead will provide technical leadership across solution architecture, integration strategy, automation frameworks, testing, CI/CD, production readiness, and delivery, while mentoring engineering teams, establishing reusable automation patterns and accelerators, managing technical dependencies, and serving as a key technical interface with clients. Experience with Benchling, LIMS, ELN, SDMS, CDS, enterprise data platforms, and strong expertise in Python, APIs, AWS, and modern software engineering practices will be highly valued.

• Own end-to-end automation initiatives, from discovery, technical assessment, and solution strategy through architecture, implementation, deployment, and production support, ensuring solutions are scalable, reusable, and aligned with business and scientific objectives.
• Drive the development of integrated automation solutions across laboratory workflows, scientific systems, data platforms, workflow orchestration, and AI/ML capabilities, collaborating effectively with scientists, technical teams, and client stakeholders.
• Design and develop automation frameworks, APIs, microservices, integrations, and data pipelines using Python, FastAPI, AWS, and modern cloud technologies.
• Lead integration with scientific and enterprise platforms such as Benchling, LIMS, ELN, SDMS, CDS, and enterprise data platforms using API, file-based, event-driven, and other integration patterns.
• Drive automation of data ingestion, transformation, validation, reconciliation, workflow execution, and data movement across laboratory and downstream systems.
• Establish reusable frameworks, components, accelerators, and engineering standards, while leading testing, CI/CD, deployment, monitoring, troubleshooting, and production-readiness practices.
• Ensure solutions meet security, data integrity, performance, auditability, and regulatory requirements, including GxP and 21 CFR Part 11 where applicable.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship through architecture and design reviews, code reviews, technical problem solving, performance optimization, and guidance to automation engineers.
• Manage technical delivery, including estimates, dependencies, risks, resource needs, cross-team coordination, and delivery status across geographically distributed teams; serve as a technical point of contact for clients and communicate solution approaches, recommendations, and trade-offs.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation by evaluating automation, AI/ML, workflow orchestration, and cloud technologies, while maintaining clear technical documentation covering architecture, integrations, APIs, workflows, testing, deployment, and operations using JIRA, Confluence, or equivalent tools.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering, Life…