Automation Engineer

Natera; Colorado; On-site; USD 96,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with company match

PTO and holidays

Wellness and work-life benefits

Job summary

Natera is seeking a Lab Automation Engineer for its Foresight Diagnostics unit in Boulder, CO. The role supports development and continuous improvement of laboratory automation and provides first-line troubleshooting in the CLIA lab.

It involves cross-functional collaboration to enable scalable automation as the tech transfer evolves within the organization. Work hours are 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with potential for diverse schedules including weekends and holidays.

Qualifications

• 5+ years engineering experience in laboratory environments.
• Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred.
• Molecular biology/genomics understanding would be a plus.
• Experience with liquid handling platforms such as Hamilton STARline and Agilent Bravo.

Responsibilities

• Deliver projects on time and within budget with quality/regulatory compliance.
• Iterate processes for continuous improvement using KPI data.
• Collaborate with lab leads to define automation requirements and develop workflows.
• Perform preventative maintenance on automated systems to ensure reliability.
• Coordinate repairs with vendors for complex issues.
• Support tech transfer of new technology/workflow to lab teams for production use.

Skills

Engineering experience

Lab automation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Hamilton STARline

Agilent Bravo

Job description

Location: On-Site in Boulder, CO (Foresight Dx business unit, a Natera company)

Shift: Monday-Friday, 7:30/8am start time

Foresight Diagnostics is a molecular diagnostics company pioneering non-invasive cancer detection through highly sensitive, cell-free DNA-based liquid biopsy technologies. Our proprietary methods - originally developed at Stanford University - are designed to detect smaller tumors earlier and enable more personalized treatment strategies for patients with cancer.

We sit at the intersection of molecular biology, bioinformatics, and next-generation sequencing (NGS), and we translate rigorous science into clinically meaningful solutions. Following our acquisition by Natera, we now combine the agility of a mission-driven startup with the scale and resources of a global leader in cell-free DNA testing. It’s an exciting moment to join us.

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, our team operates in a high accountability, collaborative environment where quality and continuous improvement aren’t just values - they’re how we work every day.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lab Automation Engineer at Foresight Diagnostics willbe responsible forsupporting the development and continuous improvement of Foresight’s laboratory automation function as well as providing first line support for troubleshooting methods in the CLIA lab. As the business life cycleevolves toverticallyintegratemanufacturing, this role will support the development and implementation with transition to the tech transfer functions within the organization. This position will collaborate cross functionally todeliver onbusinessobjectiveswith the intention of cross functional integration and operational scaling. This is a full-time positionworking7:30AMto4:00PMMonday to Friday, but may requirethe flexibilitytoworkdiverse schedules, including weekends, and holidays.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Effectively deliver to project deadlines, on time and on budget, with adherence to applicable quality and regulatory requirements.
• Iterate onprocesses to drive continuous improvement with prioritization managed through the application/interpretation of KPI results.
• Collaboratewithlaboratoryleads toalignonautomation requirements anddevelopworkflows and instrument methods for laboratory optimization and software integration.
• Regularly perform preventative maintenanceand inspections on Foresight’s automated systems to ensure reliable functionality.
• Execute major and minor repairs or coordinate with vendors for more complex repairs.
• Collaborate with Laboratory Operations to developSOPsand training programsto enable successful tech transfer ofnewtechnology/workflowsto the laboratory teams for production use.
• Work cross-functionally with Operations, Finance, and laboratory teams as necessary to properly forecast the number of automationinstrumentationneeded to meet volume demand, planforand propose upgrades to the Foresight’s automation solution.
• As needed,perform maintenance to ensure operational capacity never impacts Foresight’s ability to successfully deliver on time results.
• Ensure effective resourceutilization, planning and execution of people, process, and products in alignment with corporateobjectivesandvolumeprojections across cross-functional teams.
• Implement laboratory processes that are compliant withappropriate regulations, to include but not limited toGxP, ISO, CFR, CAP/CLIA, NYSDOH.
• Guide troubleshooting and resolution of incident reports and CAPAs while driving continuous improvement

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+yearsengineering experience supporting laboratory environments.
• A bachelor’s degree: BA/BS. An advanced degree, such as a Ph.D. orMastersdegreepreferred.
• Additionaltechnical training would be a plus with an understanding of molecular biology and genomics.
• Working knowledge of liquid handling platforms such as HamiltonSTARline and Agilent Bravo preferred
• Proven ability to deliver actionable results to complex problems.
• Strong organizational skills with an understanding of scaling and capacity planning.
• Advanced analytical and operational skills withanability toidentifymeaningful insights from complex data.
• Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability todeliver onend-to-end projects witha high levelof autonomy.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• This position requires the individual to wear and work in personal protective equipment.
• This position requires that the individualisable tolift a minimum of 25lbs.
• Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers arerequired.
• The workeris required tohave close visual acuity to perform an activitysuch as:preparing and analyzing data and figures,writingand reviewing documents, and pipetting small volumes of clear liquids.

Compensation & Total Rewards

This range reflects a good-faith estimate of the base pay we reasonablyexpect to offer at the time ofhire.Final compensation will vary based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

This position is also eligible for additional compensation and benefits through Natera’s robust Total Rewards program, including:

• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Additional wellness and work-life benefits

Compensation Range

$95,800.00 - $110,000.00

#LI-AE1

OUR OPPORTUNITY

Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.

The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers and many other professionals from world-class institutions, who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you’ll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you’ll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.

WHAT WE OFFER

Competitive Benefits - Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!

For more information, visit www.natera.com.

Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents.

Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/

Please be advised that Natera will reach out to candidates with a @natera.com email domain ONLY. Email communications from all other domain names are not from Natera or its employees and are fraudulent. Natera does not request interviews via text messages and does not ask for personal information until a candidate has engaged with the company and has spoken to a recruiter and the hiring team. Natera takes cyber crimes seriously, and will collaborate with law enforcement authorities to prosecute any related cyber crimes.

For more information:

• BBB announcement on job scams
• FBI Cyber Crime resource page