Associate Principal Engineer: Robotic QC Automation for Cell & Gene

AstraZeneca; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 161,000 - 241,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Los Angeles seeks an Associate Principal Engineer to lead the design and deployment of automated QC systems for cell and gene therapy programs. You will guide HighRes Biosolutions platforms, collaborate across QC, Manufacturing, and Digital teams, and drive scalable, compliant automation solutions.

You will help advance laboratory automation, data integrity, and process optimization, enabling faster development and readiness for commercial supply while balancing regulatory

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent with strong lab automation experience.
• Experience in automated QC workflows within regulated environments.
• Experience designing and optimizing automated lab systems.
• Strong understanding of lab operations and analytical workflows.
• Knowledge of integrating automation with lab instruments and data systems.
• Familiarity with cGMP, data integrity, and computerized system lifecycle management.
• Proven technical leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent communication to influence across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, integration, deployment, and optimization of automated QC workflows.
• Partner with scientists to translate lab needs into scalable automation solutions.
• Develop system architectures, requirements, and design documentation.
• Oversee integration with analytical instruments, liquid handling, and data systems.
• Provide hands-on leadership during validation, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
• Drive technical readiness activities including FAT, SAT, and deployment.

Skills

Robotics integration

Laboratory automation

Technical leadership

Stakeholder management

cGMP knowledge

Data integrity

Analytical development

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Engineering

Tools

HighRes Biosolutions

Hamilton systems

Lab automation software

Job description

AstraZeneca in Los Angeles seeks an Associate Principal Engineer to lead the design and deployment of automated QC systems for cell and gene therapy programs. You will guide HighRes Biosolutions platforms, collaborate across QC, Manufacturing, and Digital teams, and drive scalable, compliant automation solutions.

You will help advance laboratory automation, data integrity, and process optimization, enabling faster development and readiness for commercial supply while balancing regulatory