Head of Lab Automation & Scale-Up

Elegen; Menlo Park (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Elegen in California seeks a Head of Automation to own strategy, architecture, and execution of laboratory and manufacturing automation across our DNA synthesis platform. This leadership role will scale automation from R&D to production and build a high-performing team.

You will define multi-year roadmaps, drive safety and quality, and partner with R&D, Hardware, Software, and Manufacturing leadership to deliver reliable automated systems for external customers.

Qualifications

• Leading automation strategy and team management experience.
• Strong background in laboratory and manufacturing automation.
• Hands-on with automation platforms and scheduling systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, build, qualification, and deployment of automated systems across R&D and Production.
• Build and mentor a team of automation engineers and scientists; manage hiring and performance.
• Own automation budget, vendor negotiations for liquid handlers, robotics, schedulers.
• Partner with R&D, Process Development, Hardware/Software Eng, and Manufacturing to scale products.
• Define multi-year automation roadmap and standards; ensure safety, quality, and uptime.

Skills

Automation leadership

Robotics systems

System architecture

Python

C#

Budget management

Staff mentoring

Cross-functional leadership

Vendor management

NGS workflows

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences or engineering

MS/PhD preferred

Tools

Momentum

Overlord

Green Button Go

Job description

Elegen in California seeks a Head of Automation to own strategy, architecture, and execution of laboratory and manufacturing automation across our DNA synthesis platform. This leadership role will scale automation from R&D to production and build a high-performing team.

You will define multi-year roadmaps, drive safety and quality, and partner with R&D, Hardware, Software, and Manufacturing leadership to deliver reliable automated systems for external customers.