Automation and Robotics Engineer

Biopharma Careers; North Carolina; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson & Johnson in Spring House, PA seeks an Automation and Robotics Engineer to advance the physical execution layer of discovery automation. You will help design, test, and sustain automated lab systems, partnering with scientists to translate workflows into reliable hardware.

The role focuses on robotics, motion, safety, and equipment readiness, with hands-on troubleshooting and documentation responsibilities to ensure high uptime and compliant operation within a regulated research

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Robotics, Mechatronics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy automated laboratory modules and robotic devices.
• Review basic engineering documentation such as layouts, equipment lists, and interface notes.
• Participate in FAT, SAT, UAT, installation checks, and transfer testing with defined steps and observations.
• Support verification that equipment is accessible for operation, calibration, cleaning, and maintenance.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, robotic, sensor, and control issues and escalate as needed.

Skills

Robotics

Automation

Mechatronics

Sensing & Actuators

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

PLC

Robot controllers

CAD

Python

C++

Machine vision

Job description

At Johnson & Johnson,we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build aworld where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured,where treatments are smarter and less invasive, andsolutions are personal.Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity.Learn more at jnj.com .

Job Function:

R&D Product Development

Job Sub Function:

Robotics

Job Category:

Scientific/Technology

All Job Posting Locations:

Spring House, Pennsylvania, United States of America

Job Description:

About Innovative Medicine

Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science-based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow.

Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/innovative-medicine

We are searching for the best talent for an Automation and Robotics Engineer to be located in Spring House, PA.

Purpose:

The Automation and Robotics Engineer supports the physical execution layer of the future discovery automation environment. The role helps ensure that equipment, robots, transfer points, sensors, guards, cables, utilities, and service envelopes are correctly prepared, tested, documented, and maintained so that laboratory automation scientists can implement validated scientific workflows reliably.

The Engineer supports the design, testing, deployment, documentation, and sustainment of automated laboratory and robotic systems that enable integrated discovery automation workcells. The position focuses on physical automation fundamentals including: robotics, motion, mechanical interfaces, equipment readiness, safe operation, service access, first-line troubleshooting, and basic controls support under direct to moderate supervision.

This role is intentionally complementary to the Associate Laboratory Automation Scientist. While the scientist supports method execution, sample state, consumable readiness, and scientific data capture; the engineer supports physical transfer, machine behavior, safety, serviceability, and equipment readiness. Together, the two roles reduce basic failure modes early and build the operational rigor required for integrated workcells.

You will be responsible for:

• Design and Deploy: Assisting with configuration, assembly, testing, and deployment of automated laboratory modules, robotic devices, transfer stations, labware nests, grippers, fixtures, cable trays, guards, and workcell peripherals.
• Supporting development and review of basic engineering documentation such as layouts, equipment lists, utility needs, interface notes, wiring or pneumatic references, test records, commissioning checklists, and change summaries.
• Participating in FAT, SAT, UAT, installation checks, and physical transfer testing by completing defined test steps, capturing objective observations, and documenting deviations or open items.
• Supporting verification that equipment is accessible for operation, calibration, cleaning, preventative maintenance, intervention, and normal laboratory use without compromising safety or sample integrity.
• Operate, Troubleshoot, and Improve: Performing initial troubleshooting of mechanical, robotic, sensor, actuator, transfer, barcode presentation, basic control, and device communication issues using defined procedures and escalation pathways.
• Documenting physical faults, recovery actions, recurring equipment issues, user observations, and unresolved concerns clearly for senior engineers, laboratory automation scientists, vendors, and maintainers.
• Supporting small improvements in equipment layout, cable management, guarding, operator access, maintenance access, consumable staging, user prompts, and physical transfer reliability.
• Collecting observations on equipment uptime, recurring interventions, service needs, and physical bottlenecks to support later engineering analysis.

Safety, Facilities, and Workcell Awareness:

• Applying basic robot safety, laboratory safety, EHS, biosafety, utility, waste, guarding, interlock, and contamination-control expectations during testing and support activities.
• Supporting checks related to emergency stops, guarding, interlocks, service clearances, utilities, safe access, and physical separation between humans, robots, and moving labware.
• Working with laboratory automation scientists to understand how physical equipment behavior affects scientific workflow execution, sample identity, labware integrity, timing, and data generation.
• Advancing equipment, safety, facility, or compliance concerns early when physical design or handling behavior may compromise reliable automated execution.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Support technology evaluations, proof-of-concept studies, design reviews, and vendor demonstrations for future automation and robotics capabilities.
• Contribute to engineering standards, interface templates, safety review practices, maintenance guidelines, and technical playbooks.
• Support audit, inspection, or quality documentation requests where automated systems intersect with regulated or quality driven workflows.
• Participate in lessons learned and continuous improvement activities to improve future automation delivery.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Education:

A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Robotics, Mechatronics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical field is required.

Experience and Skills:

Required:

• 1+ years of relevant experience in robotics, automation, mechatronics, laboratory equipment, or academic/internship project experience.
• Demonstrated understanding of robotics, automation, electromechanical systems, controls hardware, sensors, actuators, and instrumentation appropriate to the level of the role.
• Ability to work with laboratory automation scientists to translate scientific workflow constraints into safe, maintainable, and physically executable machinery, interfaces, and workcell layouts.
• Working knowledge of technical documentation, drawings, equipment lists, interface notes, FAT/SAT/UAT records, FMEA inputs, punch lists, and change summaries.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across mechanical, electrical, robotic, control, safety, communication, and instrument interface issues.
• Awareness of EHS, biosafety, contamination control, service access, guard/interlock concepts, and operational readiness expectations in a research laboratory or regulated environment.

Preferred:

• Exposure to PLCs, robot controllers, industrial networks, CAD, simulation, Python, C++, machine vision, or vendor-specific configuration tools.
• Exposure to regulated, quality driven, GMP, GLP, GCLP, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or research laboratory environments.
• Familiarity with liquid handlers, AMRs, cobots, conveyors, barcode readers, sensors, safety devices, automated storage, or plate/tube handling systems.

Other:

• Travel may be required for vendor assessments, FAT/SAT activities, site visits, system builds, workshops, training, technology scouting, or cross-site deployment support.

Why Join Us:

This role supports the transition from isolated automation projects to integrated, reliable, AI-native, and ultimately self-driving discovery laboratory systems. The work helps connect scientific intent with robust physical execution, reproducible data, model feedback, and scalable operational capability.

Johnson & Johnson is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Inclusive Interview Process:

Johnson & Johnson is committed to providing an interview process that is inclusive of our applicants’ needs. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, external applicants please contact us via https://www.jnj.com/contact-us/careers , internal employees contact AskGS to be directed to your accommodation resource.

Under 18 Years of Age:

If you are under 18 years of age, you (the candidate) may need to obtain the necessary working papers or other documentation required by state law to start the assignment, as well as get a parent’s consent for the background check.