Sr. Automation Engineer

Moderna; Norwood (MA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive healthcare

Well-being resources

Generous PTO and sabbatical

Job summary

Moderna seeks a Senior Engineer I to join the Automated Systems Engineering team focused on translating early-stage automation into GMP-ready bioassay solutions.

You will lead the automation lifecycle from design through sustainment, ensuring data integrity and regulatory compliance while collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, high-throughput workflows.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with cell-based bioassays or sample preparation workflows.
• Experience in regulated laboratory environments (GLP/GMP).
• Experience programming and developing with automation software/hardware and liquid handlers.
• Site-based role; full-time on Moderna site; no remote work.
• Familiarity with automation hardware (cobots, decappers, centrifuges, dispensers, sealers).

Responsibilities

• Lead development and hardening of automated bioassay workflows for GMP-ready systems.
• Translate cell-based assays into automation solutions considering cell health, sterility, timing.
• Design and implement automation strategies for cell handling to ensure reproducibility at scale.
• Own technical execution across projects from requirements to sustainment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to transfer systems into regulated environments.
• Develop automation solutions that meet GMP expectations including data integrity and audit readiness.
• Troubleshoot issues across biological performance, liquid handling, and system integration.
• Drive standardization and continuous improvement of automation platforms.

Skills

Cell-based bioassays

Regulated environments (GLP/GMP)

Automation programming

Hamilton STAR/Vantage

Project leadership

Education

BS with 8 years experience or MS/PhD in Engineering/Biology/Bioengineering

Tools

Hamilton STAR/Vantage automation systems

Job description

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Engineer I to join the Automated Systems Engineering team within Applied Technologies, focused on translating early-stage automation into robust, scalable, GMP-ready solutions for bioassay workflows.

In this role, you will bridge development and regulated environments by hardening automated systems for deployment into GMP settings. You will lead technical execution across the automation lifecycle, including design, integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment, ensuring systems meet requirements for data integrity, traceability, and operational robustness.

This role requires a strong understanding of cell-based bioassays and their constraints under automation, including workflows such as cell maintenance, transfection, assay execution, and sample preparation. You will partner across engineering, assay development, quality, and operations to deliver automation solutions that maintain biological integrity while enabling reliable, high-throughput execution in support of clinical and commercial programs.

Here’s What You’ll Do

• Lead the development and hardening of automated bioassay workflows, transforming early-stage prototypes into robust, scalable, GMP-ready systems.
• Collaborate with scientists to translate cell-based bioassays and sample preparation workflows into automation solutions, accounting for biological constraints such as cell health, sterility, and timing sensitivity.
• Design and implement automation strategies for cell handling workflows (e.g., maintenance, passaging, transfection, assay execution) to ensure reproducibility and assay integrity at scale.
• Own technical execution across projects, including requirements definition, system integration, testing, deployment, and sustainment.
• Partner cross-functionally with Analytical Development, Applied Technologies, Analytical Sciences & Technology, Digital, and QC Operations to enable successful transfer and deployment of systems into regulated environments.
• Develop automation solutions that meet GMP expectations, including data integrity, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Troubleshoot complex issues across biological performance, liquid handling, and system integration layers, including investigation of assay variability and automation‑induced bias.
• Drive standardization and continuous improvement of automation platforms and workflows to support scalability across programs.

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

• BS with 8 years of relevant experience, MS with 5 years of relevant experience or PhD in Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or related discipline.
• Hands‑on experience supporting or working with cell‑based bioassays or sample preparation workflows.
• Experience working in or supporting regulated laboratory environments. (GLP/GMP)
• Experience programming and developing with laboratory automation software/hardware and liquid handlers.
• 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 supporting or deploying automation systems into GMP or regulated environments, including:
• Validation support (IQ/OQ/PQ)
• Change control and lifecycle management
• Documentation aligned with regulatory expectations
• Experience developing and supporting automation for:
• Mammalian cell culture workflows (maintenance, passaging, expansion)
• Transfection or cell treatment processes
• Plate‑based bioassay sample preparation workflows (e.g. ELISA)
• Experience with 3rd party automation hardware such as cobot arms, decappers, centrifuges, dispensers, sealers/peelers, etc.
• Direct experience configuring and optimizing Hamilton STAR/Vantage automated liquid handling systems.
• Experience with workcell based automation equipment controlled by scheduling software such as HighRes Cellario, Thermo CRS Momentum, etc.
• Success Characteristics
• Demonstrates strong ownership and accountability; delivers high-quality, reliable outcomes
• Collaborates effectively across functions; proactively solves complex problems

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 range for this role is $121,600.00 - $194,500.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world‑class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.

By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.

We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.

Equal Opportunities

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non‑discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day.

Moderna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Accommodations

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best.

Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations team at [e-mail].

Export Control Notice This position may involve access to technology or data that is subject to U.S. export control laws, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, employment is contingent upon the applicant’s ability to access export-controlled information in accordance with U.S. law. Due to the nature of the work and regulatory requirements, only individuals who qualify as U.S. persons (citizens, permanent residents, asylees, or refugees) are eligible for this position. For this role Moderna is unable to sponsor non-U.S. persons to apply for an export control license.