Automation Engineer II

At Amyris, we value that everyone’s career journey is unique and authentic to who they are. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply and grow alongside us! You may be just the right candidate for this or other open roles.

Ready to put your hands-on laboratory automation experience to work while growing your programming skills?

Join Amyris as an Automation Engineer II and help scientists work faster and more reliably by supporting, troubleshooting, and improving automated laboratory workflows. You’ll work directly with liquid handlers, laboratory instrumentation, scientists, and experienced automation engineers to develop reliable, high-throughput workflows—from genetic design through screening and analysis.

If you enjoy solving practical hardware and workflow challenges and want to build your scripting and programming capabilities, this is an opportunity to make a visible impact on a production-scale synthetic biology platform.

*This is a fully onsite role based in Emeryville, CA.

Responsibilities

• Method & Workflow Development: Support the development, modification, testing, and deployment of automated laboratory methods on liquid handlers and other laboratory automation platforms. Execute defined method-development activities independently and work with more experienced automation engineers on complex or integrated workflows.
• Laboratory Workflow Automation: Work with automation engineers, scientists, and laboratory users to understand manual laboratory protocols and help translate them into reliable automated workflows using established platforms, standards, and development practices.
• Troubleshooting & Technical Support: Provide day-to-day support for laboratory automation systems. Troubleshoot routine to moderately complex issues involving instrumentation, automation software, labware, consumables, and liquid-handling methods. Escalate complex, unfamiliar, or cross-system issues when additional technical expertise is required.
• Maintenance & Vendor Coordination: Support routine instrument maintenance, calibration, equipment qualification activities, and troubleshooting. Coordinate with equipment vendors and service providers as needed under established support processes.
• Documentation: Develop and maintain method documentation, standard operating procedures, user guides, troubleshooting instructions, and other technical documentation using established team standards.
• Continuous Improvement: Contribute to identifying operational bottlenecks, recurring automation issues, and opportunities to improve system reliability, assay execution, and automation uptime. Participate in implementation and testing of improvement efforts.
• Team Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing: Participate in technical discussions, share troubleshooting findings, seek input when appropriate, and collaborate with automation engineers, scientists, laboratory staff, vendors, and other cross-functional partners.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, a related scientific or engineering field, or an equivalent combination of education and practical experience.
• Approximately 2–3 years of relevant experience in laboratory automation, laboratory instrumentation, engineering, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, or a related technical environment.
• Hands-on experience operating, supporting, programming, or troubleshooting automated laboratory instrumentation. Experience with liquid-handling platforms is strongly preferred. (e.g., Beckman Coulter Biomek, Labcyte/Beckman Echo, Agilent VPrep, Dynamic Devices Lynx).
• Exposure to laboratory scheduling or orchestration platforms such as Biosero Green Button Go, Agilent VWorks, HighRes Cellario, or similar systems.
• Basic familiarity with scripting or programming concepts used in automation environments, such as Python, C#, VBScript, or similar languages, with an interest in developing these skills further.
• Ability to apply systematic troubleshooting methods to routine and moderately complex hardware, software, labware, and workflow-related problems.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly, document work effectively, collaborate with laboratory users and engineering colleagues, and seek guidance when appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies, incorporate feedback, and develop increasing technical independence over time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting automation hardware, including electronics troubleshooting and repair.
• Interest or experience in mechanical troubleshooting, CAD, 3D printing, fabrication, electronics, or development of simple laboratory fixtures is a plus.
• Familiarity with standard molecular biology and synthetic biology workflows (e.g., PCR setup, DNA assembly, transformations, NGS library prep, microplate assays, or cell culture plating).
• Exposure to laboratory data systems, LIMS, file-based data exchange, or automated transfer of instrument and workflow data.
• Familiarity with Git or another version-control system for scripts, configuration files, or automation methods.

The salary range for this role is: $103,000 to $131,000.

As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Amyris is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Amyris complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Amyris is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Salary offers are made based on internal equity and market analysis, and will vary based on the candidate’s skills, depth of experience and specific work location.

Amyris is committed to providing a diverse array of inclusive benefits and perks to support employees and their families’ wellbeing including access to robust healthcare, mental wellness benefits, family leave, discounted fitness memberships, education reimbursement, flexible paid time off, 17 paid holidays, 10 paid sick days, and additional paid time off including 3 volunteer days, and bereavement.

What may Candidates Expect from Amyris?

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6. As a VEVRAA Federal Contractor, Amyris is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Amyris complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
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