Automation Specialist

Employment Type: W2 Contract – 12 Months

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance

Contract Restrictions: W2 Only – No C2C or B2B

Role Overview

BEPC is seeking a highly skilled Laboratory Automation Scientist to support our client, a leading biotechnology organization in South San Francisco, CA.

This exciting opportunity focuses on developing, implementing, and optimizing automated laboratory workflows for advanced 3D cell culture models, including organoids, spheroids, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) systems.

The ideal candidate will bring hands-on experience in laboratory automation, liquid handling platforms, automated cell culture, and Python programming to help advance innovative research technologies.

Working alongside a multidisciplinary team of scientists, automation engineers, and software developers, you will play a critical role in transforming manual laboratory processes into scalable, reproducible automated workflows supporting drug discovery and preclinical research.

Key Responsibilities

• Laboratory Automation Development: Design, develop, program, and implement automated workflows for complex in vitro models (CIVMs), including organoids, spheroids, and iPSC-derived cell cultures.
• Automated Cell Culture: Translate manual cell culture procedures and biological assays into reliable, scalable automated protocols.
• Liquid Handling Systems: Operate, program, troubleshoot, and maintain automated liquid handling platforms, including Hamilton, Beckman Coulter Biomek, Opentrons, and Bio Tek systems.
• Workflow Optimization: Develop, test, qualify, and execute automated cell culture and assay workflows to improve laboratory efficiency, consistency, and reproducibility.
• Instrument Integration: Integrate automated incubators, centrifuges, imaging systems, analyzers, and other laboratory instrumentation into automated workflows.
• Programming & Data Automation: Utilize Python and/or C# to develop automation solutions, improve data processing, and support laboratory workflow integration.
• LIMS Integration: Collaborate with data engineers and software developers to integrate laboratory automation systems with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS).
• Equipment Maintenance: Perform routine maintenance, system qualification, quality control checks, and troubleshooting to ensure equipment readiness and sterility.
• Process Documentation: Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), technical documentation, troubleshooting guides, and automation protocols.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with scientists, engineers, external vendors, and technical teams to implement automation best practices and resolve system challenges.
• Technical Training: Support team members in Python development practices, version control, collaborative programming workflows, and AI-assisted tools for biological applications.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve automation capabilities, laboratory productivity, data quality, and experimental reproducibility.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• PhD with 0–3 years of relevant experience OR Master's degree with 4–6 years of relevant experience.
• Degree in Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomaterials, Immunology, Pharmacology, Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related scientific discipline.

Technical Requirements:

• Hands-on experience automating cell culture processes in biotechnology, pharmaceutical research, academia, or contract research organizations (CROs).
• Demonstrated ability to convert manual laboratory experiments and cell culture procedures into automated, scalable protocols.
• Experience operating, programming, and…