Senior Robotics Engineer

Moderna; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Well-being programs

Generous PTO

On-site facilities

Job summary

Moderna is seeking a Senior Robotics Engineer to lead robotics and automation platforms that enable scalable, high-throughput research workflows. You will contribute to design, integration, and validation of robotic systems, controls, and orchestration software while advising cross-functional teams.

You will mentor engineers, translate scientific needs into system specs, and advance platform architecture across robotics, sensing, and data systems.

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in robotics, automation, or a related field.
• 2+ years in robotics or automation experience.
• Proficient in Python or C# for automation.
• Ability to translate lab workflows into scalable automated systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert leadership for robotics and automation projects.
• Contribute to system architecture across robotics, motion control, instrument control, scheduling, data flow, safety, and orchestration layers.
• Translate scientific and operational needs into system specifications, requirements, integration plans, risk assessments, and verification strategies.
• Design and develop automation software, electronic controls, and workflows that integrate robotics, instruments, sensors, and data systems.
• Lead or co-lead integration of robotic platforms, new instruments, technologies, and automation modules into extensible platform architectures.
• Identify and help manage technical risks, dependencies, and complexity while improving throughput, flexibility, reliability, reproducibility, and process efficiency.
• Serve as a technical expert and advisor for robotics, automation, controls, and systems integration within Research and partner scientific teams.
• Partner with Research, Delivery Science, Digital, Engineering, and scientific stakeholders to align platform capabilities with experimental goals, data needs, and evolving research priorities.
• Apply automation best practices, external technology awareness, and emerging robotics capabilities to improve experimental workflows, research productivity, and the platform roadmap.
• Communicate advanced technical concepts clearly, build consensus, and influence stakeholders to adopt effective technical approaches.
• Mentor engineers and scientists and contribute to standards and best practices in robotics engineering, automation software, controls, verification, and validation.

Skills

Robotics

Automation

Systems engineering

Python

C#

Cross-functional influence

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Job description

The Role

Joining Moderna offers the opportunity to help advance mRNA medicines through high-impact robotics, automation, and systems engineering for Research.

This Senior Robotics Engineer is an individual contributor role provides expert technical leadership for robotics and automation platforms that enable scalable, flexible, high-throughput research workflows. You will contribute to the design, integration, and validation of robotic systems, electronic controls, custom automation software, and orchestration platforms while advising cross-functional teams, solving complex technical problems, and building consensus around practical, reliable solutions.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Provide expert technical leadership for robotics and automation projects supporting research discovery, experimental enablement, and high-throughput scientific workflows.
• Contribute to system architecture across robotics, motion control, instrument control, scheduling, data flow, safety, and orchestration layers.
• Translate scientific and operational needs into system specifications, requirements, integration plans, risk assessments, and verification strategies.
• Design and develop automation software, electronic controls, and workflows that integrate robotics, instruments, sensors, and data systems.
• Lead or co-lead integration of robotic platforms, new instruments, technologies, and automation modules into extensible platform architectures.
• Identify and help manage technical risks, dependencies, and complexity while improving throughput, flexibility, reliability, reproducibility, and process efficiency.
• Serve as a technical expert and advisor for robotics, automation, controls, and systems integration within Research and partner scientific teams.
• Partner with Research, Delivery Science, Digital, Engineering, and scientific stakeholders to align platform capabilities with experimental goals, data needs, and evolving research priorities.
• Apply automation best practices, external technology awareness, and emerging robotics capabilities to improve experimental workflows, research productivity, and the platform roadmap.
• Communicate advanced technical concepts clearly, build consensus, and influence stakeholders to adopt effective technical approaches.
• Mentor engineers and scientists and contribute to standards and best practices in robotics engineering, automation software, controls, verification, and validation.

Here’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications)

• B.S. or higher with 2+ years or more of relevant experience in robotics, automation, systems, controls, software engineering, or a related discipline.
• Deep experience designing, integrating, and validating robotic systems, electronic controls, scientific instrumentation, and automation software.
• Strong programming skills in Python, C#, or similar languages for automation, instrument control, robotics integration, workflow orchestration, or data-driven platform development.
• Ability to translate complex laboratory and scientific workflows into scalable automated research systems with clear requirements, risk assessments, verification plans, and support models.
• Proven ability to solve complex technical problems using advanced analytical judgment, cross-functional influence, and technical leadership.

This position is site-based, requiring you to be at Moderna's site full-time. This position is not eligible for remote work.

Here’s What You’ll Bring to the Table (Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience with liquid handling robotics, collaborative or industrial robotic systems, motion control, automation safety, and instrument integration.
• Experience with research automation, assay enablement, scientific instrumentation, or automated experimental workflows in a biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or academic research environment.
• Experience architecting modular automation systems, orchestration platforms, reusable software frameworks, or extensible robotic workcells.
• Familiarity with LNP development or other complex experimental systems.
• Strong record of technical leadership, stakeholder influence, mentorship, and communication across diverse audiences.
• A desire to make an impact in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization that is Bold, Relentless, Curious, and Collaborative.

Pay & Benefits

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That's why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you-at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Competitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investments to help you plan for the future
• Location-specific perks and extras

The salary