Platform Engineer

Automata is transforming the way labs work with open, integrated automation. Our mission is to unlock the potential of labs and the potential of the people who work in them.

At Automata, we’re on a mission to transform how scientists work by making automation accessible to every lab in the world. We believe that by giving labs the power to automate, we can unlock discoveries that will shape the future of life sciences—from diagnostics and drug discovery to synthetic biology.

But we’re more than just a company disrupting the industry—we're a team of innovators, problem‑solvers, and creators passionate about empowering scientists. Our LINQ platform combines hardware and software to streamline workflows, making lab automation fast, flexible, and affordable. This means our customers can focus on groundbreaking research, while we take care of the rest.

Impact
:
Your work will directly contribute to advancements in science and medicine, supporting labs around the globe as they push boundaries in research and innovation.

Innovation
:
You’ll be part of a team solving complex problems using cutting‑edge technology.

Growth
:
We invest in our people, offering hands‑on experience, professional development, and collaborative projects that foster professional and personal growth.

Community
:
Join a diverse, passionate team that values collaboration.

We are looking for a Staff Platform Engineer to lead the technical direction of Automata’s platform infrastructure. In this high‑impact role you will define architecture, drive standards, and enable teams to deliver faster and more reliably across cloud and on‑premise environments.

• Define and drive platform architecture across cloud, edge, and bare‑metal deployments.
• Establish and evolve golden paths that standardize how engineers build, deploy, and operate services.
• Lead the design of multi‑cluster Kubernetes platforms, including bare‑metal and hybrid setups.
• Own strategy and best practices for data infrastructure (Postgres and beyond).
• Drive adoption of Git Ops (ArgoCD) and scalable IaC frameworks.
• Architect systems for highly regulated environments (ISO
  27001, SOC2, GxP).
• Lead observability strategy using Open Telemetry and modern tooling.
• Guide network architecture, including physical networking and vendor integrations (Juniper/Mist).
• Drive platform‑level automation and AI adoption (e.g., developer tooling, Claude Code workflows).
• Influence and improve orchestration patterns (Temporal and similar systems).
• Partner with product, engineering, and field teams to ensure successful customer deployments.
• Mentor engineers and raise the technical bar across the organisation.
• Balance technical excellence with pragmatic decision‑making.

• 8+ years of experience in platform engineering, infrastructure, or distributed systems.
• Deep expertise in Kubernetes, including bare‑metal and large‑scale production systems.
• Advanced knowledge of Postgres and data infrastructure.
• Proven experience defining and scaling platform standards and developer workflows.
• Strong background in IaC and Git Ops at scale.
• Deep understanding of observability, reliability engineering, and incident management.
• Strong programming skills in at least one of Go, Python, Rust, .NET.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills across technical and non‑technical teams.
• Experience working directly with customers or field teams in complex environments.
• Willingness to travel when needed to support key deployments.
• Experience introducing AI‑assisted engineering practices.

• Experience with Juniper/Mist networking and physical infrastructure.
• Experience with Temporal or workflow orchestration systems.
• Background in life sciences, robotics, or lab automation.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Discrimination of any kind based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status is strictly prohibited.