Lab Ops Engineer — Build the Lab Operating System

Light Labs; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Light Labs is seeking a Lab Operations Engineer to design and deploy the Lab Operating System on the lab floor in Ann Arbor, MI. You will map current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement automated solutions to improve throughput and accuracy, working closely with scientists and engineers.

You will own end-to-end lab process improvements, developing real-time visibility, quality controls, and scalable playbooks that launch across future labs.

Qualifications

• A real software or automation engineering background.
• Real time inside laboratory, scientific, manufacturing, or other complex physical-world operations.
• Track record of replacing manual workflows with software or automation, personally.
• Ability to define and implement fixes that measurably move throughput, turnaround time, quality, or efficiency.
• Strong communication skills to align scientists, technicians, and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Map every process on the lab floor and build a single source of truth for workflow movement.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement fixes, then measure and standardize results.
• Make turnaround time predictable through real-time visibility and proactive monitoring.
• Build proactive quality management with drift detection and real-time QC trend analysis.
• Create a scalable Lab Operating System that integrates with the broader platform.

Skills

Software engineering

Automation

Lab operations

Real-time systems

Communication

Job description

Light Labs is seeking a Lab Operations Engineer to design and deploy the Lab Operating System on the lab floor in Ann Arbor, MI. You will map current workflows, identify bottlenecks, and implement automated solutions to improve throughput and accuracy, working closely with scientists and engineers.

You will own end-to-end lab process improvements, developing real-time visibility, quality controls, and scalable playbooks that launch across future labs.