Automation Operations Engineer (Evenings/Weekends) • Passion Placement

Boston, MA

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.

We’re looking for driven Automation Operations Engineers to provide front-end support for the automation systems in our Foundries. Working directly with our Automation, Software, and Operations Teams, you’ll assist with identifying and troubleshooting any issues with our automation systems. The role will rely on your research regarding emerging automation technology and applications. You will be responsible for gathering necessary background information of new systems and how they can work within Ginkgo’s labs. You’ll also collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to suggest system improvements and enhance application performance.

Please note: this is a full time role with a shift schedule for evening/weekend hours (4 days x 10 hour shifts). We are unable to provide full sponsorship for candidates outside of the United States, Canada and Mexico. Visa transfers are welcome to apply.

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Responsibilities

Provide front-end support for automation systems in our high-complexity laboratory

Establish root causes of automation system errors, escalating serious concerns to engineering team members and ensuring issue resolution

Actively participate in post mortem discussions

Management and organizing relevant documentation associated with tasks

Consult with development team members, internal users, and external clients to identify and suggest system improvements and enhance application performance

Assist with the development and maintenance of production integrated systems, including hardware and software

Physical Requirements (physical abilities essential to perform the job)

Frequent sitting and standing; occasional walking and bending; occasional lifting of materials

Frequent use of computer keyboards, monitors and telephones.

Responsiveness to auditory and/or visual alarms and communication devices including: fire alarms, mechanical failure alarms, system alerts, etc.

Sufficient mobility to access equipment, machinery and other customers

Work Environment (work environments, hazards and exposures that may be encountered on the job)

Exposure to minimal but constant noise levels.

Daily functions may include incidental exposure to hazards associated with:

Close proximity to moving mechanical parts and electrical components.

Chemicals such as reagents, carcinogens, corrosives, flammables and fumes.

Microorganisms which can include fungus, bacteria, viruses, etc.

Most functions may require use of protective gear such as eye protection, gloves, and fluid-resistant coats

Desired Experience and Capabilities

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field and at least 1 year of industry experience

Experience working with automation equipment in a clinical or biotech laboratory setting is strongly preferred

Prior experience with life sciences production support, and particularly supporting automation processes for clinical laboratories, strongly preferred

Aptitude for troubleshooting problems that occur in a production environment

Novice ability to write scripts and review code to effectively analyze data and resolve problems

Has an introductory level of familiarity with automation equipment and software platforms

Motivated for providing user/customer support

Can communicate through minor issues/troubleshooting with team

Strong level of efficiency and self-motivation to complete tasks accurately and on time

Process-oriented mindset, with acute attention to detail

Strong drive to help our project succeed, keeping in mind Ginkgo’s mission and the customers we’re supporting

Ability to work a shift schedule that requires evening and weekend hours

Can take ownership on small-scale troubleshooting issues

Assists in improvement of existing processes

May provide support/oversight to junior team staff

To learn more about Ginkgo, check out some recent press:

What is it really like to take your company public via a SPAC? One Boston biotech shares its journey (Fortune)

Ginkgo Bioworks resizes the definition of going big in biotech, raising $2.5B in a record SPAC deal that weighs in with a whopping $15B-plus valuation (Endpoints News)

Ginkgo Bioworks CEO on scaling up Covid-19 testing: ‘If we try, we can win’ (CNBC)

Ginkgo raises $70 million to ramp up COVID-19 testing for employers, universities (Boston Globe)

Ginkgo Bioworks Redirects Its Biotech Platform to Coronavirus (Wall Street Journal)

Ginkgo Bioworks Provides Support on Process Optimization to Moderna for COVID-19 Response (PRNewswire)

The Life Factory: Synthetic Organisms From This $1.4 Billion Startup Will Revolutionize Manufacturing (Forbes)

Synthetic Bio Pioneer Ginkgo Raises $290 Million in New Funding (Bloomberg)

Ginkgo Bioworks raises $350 million fund for biotech spinouts (Reuters)

Can This Company Convince You to Love GMOs? (The Atlantic)

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.

More Information

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