Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations

Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 37,700 - 53,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company stock awards

Comprehensive benefits package

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Health spending accounts

401(k) with employer contribution

Job summary

A leading bioengineering firm in Boston is seeking an Automation Scientist Intern to help operate their innovative automated lab systems. This role involves mastering the Reconfigurable Automation Cells platform to support molecular and cell biology workflows. While a college degree is not required, basic skills in coding and biology are preferred. The successful candidate will also benefit from a comprehensive perks package, including competitive salary, benefits, stock awards, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

Qualifications

• Skills in coding, biology, or computational biology preferred.
• Passion for lab automation and robotic systems.
• Willingness to ensure successful scientific workflows.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain the Reconfigurable Automation Cells system.
• Monitor error recovery during molecular and cell biology workflows.

Skills

Basic coding skills

Biology knowledge

Computational biology skills

Automation-forward mindset

Job description

Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.

The role is based out of Ginkgo’s Boston, MA location and requires regular in-person attendance.

About the Role

Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands‑on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab toward autonomous operation.

Responsibilities

• Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on‑site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
• Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows. In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
• "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
• Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.

Bonus (not required)

• Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video.

The base salary range for this role is $37,700-$53,500. Actual pay within this range will depend on a candidate’s skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer company stock awards, a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, 401(k) program with employer contribution, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full‑week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.

*It is expected that all Internships are onsite five days a week.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet.