Laboratory Automation & Robotics Engineer - Pharmaceuticals

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; West Point (PA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life and disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation and holidays

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Eurofins Professional Scientific Services seeks an Automation Engineer to lead the design, deployment, and optimization of robotic workflows and data management in regulated R&D environments.

You will collaborate with scientists, IT, and quality teams to ensure scalable, compliant automation, drive throughput, and maintain data integrity while optimizing lifecycle support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Automation, Robotics, Computer Science or life sciences.
• Demonstrated experience supporting laboratory automation, robotics, or automated instrumentation platforms.
• Experience in regulated environments (pharma/biotech/life sciences).
• Experience programming, configuring, and troubleshooting robotic and liquid handling systems.
• Knowledge of lab system integration and data management workflows.
• Experience performing IQ/OQ/PQ validation in regulated settings.
• Strong problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, configure, and deploy automated laboratory workflows.
• Integrate robotic platforms with instruments, software, scheduling, and LIMS.
• Validate and qualify automated systems (IQ/OQ/PQ) and maintain lifecycle docs.
• Monitor performance, implement KPIs, and drive reliability improvements.
• Develop SOPs, training material, and support knowledge transfer.

Skills

Lab automation experience

Robotics programming

Laboratory systems integration

IQ/OQ/PQ validation

Troubleshooting

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Lean Six Sigma

Automation integration

Audit readiness

Data integrity

LIMS familiarity

Laboratory data management workflows

Continuous improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Automation/Robotics

Tools

Robotic platforms

Liquid handling systems

Job description

• Full-time

Company Description

The work we do at Eurofins Professional Scientific Services matters, and so do our employees. At Eurofins PSS, we put a focus on your professional growth. We provide our employees the ability to break into the biopharmaceutical industry and grow from the bottom up. We have the supportive teams and tools available to invest in you while also affording you work-life balance and a competitive benefits package.

Eurofins Scientific is an international life sciences company, providing a unique range of analytical testing services to clients across multiple industries, to make life and our environment safer, healthier and more sustainable. From the food you eat, to the water you drink, to the medicines you rely on, Eurofins works with the biggest companies in the world to ensure the products they supply are safe, their ingredients are authentic and labelling is accurate. Eurofins believes it is a global leader in food, environmental, pharmaceutical and cosmetics products testing and in agroscience CRO services. It is also one of the global independent market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, discovery pharmacology, forensics, CDMO, advanced material sciences and in the support of clinical studies.

Job Description

Position Summary:

The Automation Engineer will lead the implementation, validation, integration, and ongoing optimization of laboratory automation solutions supporting regulated research and development environments. This role is responsible for designing and deploying robotic workflows, liquid handling systems, laboratory instrumentation integrations, and data management solutions that enable scalable, efficient, and compliant laboratory operations.

Working closely with scientists, laboratory operations teams, IT partners, and automation stakeholders, the Automation Engineer will drive automation initiatives from discovery and system assessment through deployment, validation, performance optimization, and long-term lifecycle support. The role will play a key part in advancing laboratory digitalization, increasing throughput, improving data integrity, and enhancing operational reliability.

Key Responsibilities:

Laboratory Automation & Robotics

• Assess existing automation environments, including robotics platforms, liquid handling systems, and laboratory workflows.
• Design, develop, configure, and deploy automated laboratory workflows.
• Program and optimize robotic and liquid handling systems to meet scientific and operational requirements.
• Implement automation strategies that improve process efficiency, reproducibility, and scalability.
• Develop and execute automation roadmaps aligned with business priorities.

System Integration

• Integrate robotic platforms with laboratory instruments, software applications, scheduling systems, and LIMS environments.
• Design and implement data flow architectures that support seamless interoperability across laboratory systems.
• Ensure automation outputs are appropriately integrated with downstream analytics and reporting platforms.
• Partner with IT and laboratory stakeholders to enable secure, reliable system connectivity.

Validation & Compliance

• Execute validation and qualification activities, including IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and documentation.
• Develop and maintain validation lifecycle documentation.
• Support regulatory compliance requirements and audit readiness initiatives.
• Ensure automated systems meet quality, validation, and data integrity standards.
• Participate in inspection readiness and compliance reviews.

Performance Optimization & Reliability Engineering

• Perform system troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and performance tuning.
• Monitor automation performance and establish KPIs to ensure sustained operational excellence.
• Identify workflow bottlenecks and implement solutions that improve throughput and reduce downtime.
• Develop preventative maintenance strategies and reliability programs.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean, RCA, and CAPA methodologies.

Documentation & Knowledge Management

• Author SOPs, technical specifications, validation documentation, and engineering records.
• Develop training materials and support knowledge transfer activities.
• Maintain comprehensive automation system documentation throughout the lifecycle of deployed solutions.
• Provide technical mentorship and training to laboratory and operational staff.

Qualifications

Basic Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Automation, Robotics, Computer Science, Biotechnology, Life Sciences, or related technical discipline.
• Demonstrated experience supporting laboratory automation, robotics, or automated instrumentation platforms.
• Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or regulated laboratory environments.
• Experience programming, configuring, and troubleshooting robotic and liquid handling systems.
• Knowledge of laboratory systems integration and data management workflows.
• Experience executing validation activities in regulated environments, including IQ/OQ/PQ.
• Strong technical problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to work effectively across scientific, engineering, quality, and IT organizations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States indefinitely without restriction or sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with LIMS, laboratory scheduling systems, data capture platforms, and analytics tools.
• Knowledge of data integrity, laboratory compliance, and quality system requirements.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement, LeanSix Sigma, RCA, or CAPA methodologies.
• Experience with cross-platform laboratory automation integration.
• Exposure to audit readiness and regulatory inspection support activities.

Additional Information

This role is a full-time, permanent positionMonday-Friday1st Shift. Candidates currently located within commutable distance to West Point, PAare encouraged to apply.

Excellent full-time benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical coverage, dental, and vision options
• Life and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Eligibility for yearly goal-based bonus & merit-based increases

Eurofins USA PSS Insourcing Solutions is a Disabled and Veteran Equal Employment Opportunity employer.