Lead of Laboratory Automation - Vancouver (WA)

lab automation; Vancouver (WA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

e184 is seeking a Lead of Laboratory Automation to own the physical and data automation of a new wet laboratory in Vancouver (WA) and a physics laboratory in London. You will automate instruments and capture data across instruments, LIMS/ELN, and data pipelines, building systems for analysis and ML training.

Initially hands-on, the role will grow into a team-lead position. You might thrive if you have 5+ years building laboratory automation or robotics in biotech or related fields, with hands-on

Qualifications

• 5+ years building laboratory automation or robotics in biotech, pharma, life sciences, neurotechnology, or another complex experimental environment.

Responsibilities

• Automate instruments to make lab work faster and repeatable (liquid handlers, robotic arms, imaging, incubators, sensors).
• Capture and unify data from all instruments and runs (LIMS/ELN, data pipelines, experiment tracking).
• As scope grows, lead a small team of builders and collaborators.

Skills

Lab automation

Robotics

LIMS/ELN

Data pipelines

Instrument drivers/SDKs

Job description

We are looking for a Lead of Laboratory Automation to own the physical and data automation of a new wet laboratory in Vancouver (WA) and physics laboratory in London.

You will work across laboratories focused on ectogenesis, in vitro gametogenesis, and non-invasive BCI. The job is to work closely with the scientific heads at e184 and to understand how the labs work today, decide where automation actually saves time, and build or integrate the systems for it. There are two stages, in this order:

1. Automate the instruments. Make the physical work of the lab faster and repeatable: liquid handlers, robotic arms, magnetic racks, plate movement, sample and reagent transport, opening and closing incubators and fridges, automated imaging, sensors, custom rigs.

2. Capture the data. Collect data from all instruments and runs in one place and in a consistent format, so it can be used for analysis and for training ML models. This covers instrument integration, LIMS/ELN, data pipelines and experiment tracking.

At the start you build this yourself. As the scope grows, the role becomes a team lead role.

About the Team

42 is building the technology layer around frontier biology. Together with e184 we are building the foundation for autonomous research laboratories: systems where experiments are designed, executed, monitored, analyzed, and improved through a tight loop between scientists, instruments, robotics, software, and data.

e184 is building technologies to overcome the limits of human biology in reproduction, the genome, and cognition. The team operates across frontier research programs including in vitro gametogenesis, ectogenesis, genome engineering, and non-invasive brain–computer interfaces. The team includes scientists, embryologists, engineers, physicists, bioinformaticians, materials scientists and lab operations specialists.

You might thrive in this role if you have

5+ years building laboratory automation or robotics in biotech, pharma, life sciences, neurotechnology, or another complex experimental environment as a builder, not manager.

Hands-on experience with laboratory automation systems: liquid handlers, robotic arms, automated imaging, incubators, sensors, assay platforms, custom instrumentation.

Strong understanding of wet lab workflows and the ability to work day to day with scientists, research associates, and lab managers without needing everything translated.

Experience building or integrating LIMS, ELN, data pipelines, or experiment tracking systems.

Software depth: instrument drivers and SDKs, scheduling and orchestration, and enough general engineering to build and maintain what you ship.

Ability to connect instruments, protocols, data and people into a setup that works in a real lab, not only on paper.

Comfortable working without an established process: protocols, data formats and workflows are still changing, and much of the structure does not exist yet.

Based in Vancouver or Portland, or willing to relocate.

We’re flexible on compensation and happy to discuss it based on your expectations

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