Automation Engineer (Principal or Senior)

Company: Curve Biosciences
Location: Mountain View
Posted on: June 20, 2022

Job Description:

About the Company and Role
At Curve Biosciences, our mission is to discover novel biology that drives disease but is hidden across datasets from the past 25+ years. Curve's founders have invented next-generation data mining methods for these datasets and high-resolution assays to develop the next wave of tests and therapies. Curve's initial focus is on the $20B+ market for high-risk cancer screening with a broader goal of unlocking our disease drivers for other clinical applications.
We are looking for an automation engineer who is responsible for automation equipment and associated controlling software in the lab. This hire will help lead development of Curve's assay data generation platform and initial product lines in high-risk cancer screening. They will work in close partnership with Curve's Assay and Clinical Operations teams to strategically build and maintain automated laboratory systems in the most scalable and practical ways possible. Position level (Principal, Senior), compensation, and scale of responsibilities will be based on the employee's past experience. -
Curve Biosciences is dedicated to improving our patients' lives and supporting our employees' dreams. Some of our employee benefits include:- Competitive salary and equity compensation- Early-stage equity with significant upside potential- Flexible PTO- Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision- 401(k) plan- Training and support from founders with 25+ years of experience- Career development opportunities for gaining depth in their current role or breadth across other roles- Career development opportunities for honing individual contributor skills or gaining management skills- Beautiful lab space with state-of-the-art equipment, dedicated benches, and natural light- Collaborative office space with weekly lunches, company offsites, and snacks/drinks
Curve Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer. We highly value diversity at our company and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Job Responsibilities
As an Automation Engineer at Curve Biosciences, your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:- Writing liquid handling methods to convert laboratory protocols to various automated liquid handling platforms- Troubleshooting any errors that may occur in the laboratory on liquid handling systems, six axis robots, standalone laboratory equipment such as plate sealers, automated thermocyclers, liquid reagent dispensers, etc. -- Working with the SWE team to develop and build upon LIMS that will continually provide extensive tracking of labware, reagent plates, etc in the laboratory- Working with the lab team to develop specifications for any new instrumentation needs.- Keeping track of preventative maintenance schedules and facilitate preventative maintenance in accordance with manufacturer's specifications and recommendations- Assisting with validation and verification of new assays, or improvement assays within the Clinical Laboratory- Assisting with running clinical studies as the needs arise
Core Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science or better in one of the following disciplines: Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering -, Molecular Biology, Computer Science -- Moderate proficiency with the following programming languages: Python, Django, JavaScript, C++- Prior experience with writing and modifying liquid handling methods using liquid handling GUIs such as VENUS, VWorks, or EVOWare. -- Prior experience with troubleshooting and servicing automated liquid handling platforms (Hamilton, Velocity 11, Tecan, Beckman Biomek)- Extensive experience with basic error recovery techniques on liquid handling platforms -- Basic experience with fundamental laboratory techniques such as PCR, Gel electrophoresis, NanoDrop, DNA Extraction etc

Preferred Skills and Qualifications
- Deep prior experience with Hamilton automated liquid handling platforms. -- Deep prior experience with high throughput NGS sequencing laboratory workflows. -- Deep prior experience with manipulation of cell free DNA on a high throughput scale. -- Deep prior experience with six axis robots such as STAUBLI, FANUC, etc. -- Deep prior experience with magnetic bead based technology and methods. -- Basic understanding of Next Generation Sequencing principles.

Keywords: Curve Biosciences, Mountain View , Automation Engineer (Principal or Senior), Engineering , Mountain View, California