Senior Automation Engineer - Production Chemistry

About Satomic

Satomic's mission is to close the gap from idea to molecule with faster navigation of chemical space. We are building an automated chemistry platform that integrates laboratory robotics, software, and AI to transform small-molecule synthesis and drug discovery.

This role is critical to Satomic's mission of closing the gap from idea to molecule by building the automation systems that reliably synthesize and route customer molecules through our production platform with speed and reliability, enabling our partners to explore chemical space- and advance their programs - faster. Satomic is building an API to atoms, and this role owns the orchestration and physical automation behind that API - ensuring requests are executed cleanly on our synthesis systems with a frictionless experience for our own operators and partners.

About the Role

This is a senior individual contributor role building the preparative liquid handling platform at the center of Satomic's chemistry operations. You will develop and own the Venus methods and instrument integrations that move samples through the production chemistry pipeline, partnering closely with chemists and the software team to ship workflows that run reliably in production.

The right candidate has deep Hamilton experience and strong hardware instincts. You will integrate peripherals into the StarV workcell, develop liquid handling methods across the production chemistry pipeline, define handoff points to downstream purification and analytical workflows, and work with the software team to ensure runs produce traceable data. You will also provide troubleshooting support for the production team and build out workflows that keep batch runs moving as the platform grows.

This is a hands-on, lab-based role for someone who takes pride in building automation the whole team can depend on and who can navigate the intersection of instrumentation, method development, and software integration.

Technologies and systems you may work with include:

• Liquid handling robotics (e.g., Hamilton liquid handlers)
• Automation control software (e.g., VENUS)
• Laboratory instrumentation such as incubators, sample management systems, de-cappers, and analytical systems
• Internal software systems used for experiment orchestration and data capture
• Automation validation and testing frameworks used to ensure reliability of automated workflows

Expected Outcomes:

By day 30, you will have:

• Developed a working understanding of the current chemistry workflows and what the platform needs to support for scale up

• Delivered at least one Venus method or integration into production, with documentation and a validated operating procedure
• Mapped remaining open work against company milestones and identified the critical path with timelines the team can align on

By 90 days, you will have:

• Integrated at least two peripheral instruments into the StarV workflow and validated them in production
• Delivered the core Venus methods and instrument integrations needed to get Satomic's production-scale chemistry workflows running and performed necessary validation testing to meet user requirements
• Worked with the software team to ensure methods are integrated with sample logging and tracking systems
• Written operating procedures for completed integrations and methods

By year 1, you will have:

• Integrated the full instrument suite required to support current chemistry programs
• Established a method development process that lets new chemistry be onboarded efficiently as scope grows
• Trained at least one other team member on platform operation using documentation you authored

By year 5, you will have:

• Built integrations that span multiple workcells that allow for overnight, unattended operation
• Become the go-to reference for Hamilton integrations and scheduling problems at Satomic
• Made the automation platform a core part of how Satomic runs chemistry at scale

What You Will Own

• Method development for production workflows, such as integration, scheduling, and batch processing
• Instrument procurement, installation, and hardware configuration
• Troubleshooting support for the production team and building workflows that keep batch runs moving
• Operating procedures and documentation for production methods

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in laboratory automation engineering with demonstrated ownership of method development, validation, and production deployment
• Prior experience integrating accessory instrumentation with Hamilton on Venus is required. You must be able to write, debug, and extend methods independently
• Prior Hamilton service training is a plus
• Strong hardware and integration background
• Experience installing and commissioning lab instruments
• Comfortable working through integration problems across hardware, software, and instrumentation
• Able to document methods clearly and work closely with chemists to understand what needs to be automated

What this Role Is (and Is Not)

This role is:

• A senior individual contributor to own and support building out the automated production chemistry pipeline in a laboratory setting
• Focused on method reliability, liquid handling systems, and building workflows that scale toward continuous operation

This role is not:

• For a system with PLC automation or industrial-scale chemical manufacturing
• A role where automation methods are handed to you fully defined and ready to execute.
• A software developer, data science, or assay scientist position

Overview of Satomic's Interview Process

• Phone screen (15 minutes): A brief introductory call to discuss the role and answer questions
• Core Interviews (3 x 45 minutes): the hiring manager will coordinate a block where you can have three 45 minute interviews back to back with different members of the Satomic team, who will ask questions about your past experience and fit for the role
• Take-home assignment: A scoped engineering problem representative of the work at Satomic, completed on your own time
• Final round: A technical review of your take-home submission, and presentation of prior work to the interview panel to understand how you work, how you think, and how you collaborate across disciplines

Why Join Satomic?

Join a team tackling frontier challenges in chemistry and the biggest bottleneck in drug discovery- an opportunity to shape not just Satomic, but the future of how molecules are discovered and made.

Diversity & Inclusion

We know there's a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. At Satomic, we're committed to helping drive that change. Our culture is built on inclusion, humility, humanity, and ingenuity- values that guide how we work with one another and how we approach the challenges of scaling science. We believe that bringing together people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking is not just the right thing to do, but makes us stronger: we want every member of our team to feel they belong and can do the best work of their career here.

Our mission is to close the gap from idea to molecule. That mission carries responsibility: the chemistry we enable can accelerate access to life-changing medicines and technologies, but it can also pose risks if used carelessly. We're not agnostic to how our platform is applied-we care deeply about ensuring it is used for good. Building a team of diverse and thoughtful voices gives us the best chance of delivering a platform that not only advances the future of chemistry and drug discovery, but does so responsibly and with lasting positive impact on our world.

Compensation

This role offers a base salary of $110,000 - $130,000, along with meaningful equity ownership and competitive benefits.

We are an early-stage company and design offers to balance cash compensation and long-term ownership. The salary range above reflects base pay only, and we work with candidates to build a package that aligns with their preferences.

Final offers are based on a candidate's experience and expected impact. For candidates exceptionally aligned with the role we are comfortable positioning offers toward the top of this range and beyond.