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Automation Engineer (Contractor)

South San Francisco, California, United States

About Xaira Therapeutics

Xaira is an innovative biotech startup focused on leveraging AI to transform drug discovery and development. The company is leading the development of generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics, enabling the creation of medicines against historically hard-to-drug molecular targets. It is also developing foundation models for biology and disease to enable better target elucidation and patient stratification. Collectively, these technologies aim to continually enable the identification of novel therapies and to improve success in drug development. Xaira is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and London.

Job Description:

As an automation engineer contractor, you will be at the intersection of biology, robotics, and software, helping transform how experiments are executed in the lab. You will work side by side with biologists, chemists, and automation engineers to understand real scientific workflows and translate them into automated processes that improve speed, reliability, and scale.

This role is a hands-on training opportunity to learn modern lab automation from the ground up, including exposure to robotics, computer vision, and AI-driven workflows. You will support the automation of diverse experimental pipelines using both established laboratory instruments and emerging robotic platforms, while gaining experience in process engineering, system integration, and real-world problem solving. Your work will directly contribute to increasing the throughput and reproducibility of our research and development efforts, and will prepare you for more advanced roles in automation, robotics, or applied AI.

Responsibilities:

  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of biologists, protein engineers, and data scientists to gather and analyze requirements for process automation and optimization.
  • Design, develop, and implement automation solutions for high-throughput omics assays and protein production workflows using liquid handler equipment and other relevant technologies.
  • Optimize existing automated processes to improve efficiency, scalability, and reliability, ensuring high-quality outcomes.
  • Troubleshoot and maintain automated systems and workflows, providing technical support and expertise to ensure continuous operation.
  • Stay abreast of the latest advancements in automation technology and biotech methodologies to propose and integrate innovative solutions into our R&D processes.
  • Document and communicate automation strategies, protocols, and outcomes,contributing to knowledge sharing and best practices within the company.
  • Work closely with the machine learning team to facilitate the integration of automated data collection and analysis in our drug development pipeline.
  • Collaborate with the software engineering team to build the IT infrastructure, including automation data flow in ELN.
  • Assist scientists in operating automation and analytical instruments for data acquisition.

 

Qualifications (requirements in bold):

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioengineering, Engineering, or a related field. Recent graduates are encouraged to apply.
  • Hands-on experience programming and operating liquid handling robots through coursework, internships, research labs, or industry roles. Experience with Hamilton systems and VENUS is a strong plus.
  • Demonstrated ability to write, modify, and troubleshoot automation scripts or protocols. Comfortable working with code and learning new tools quickly.
  • Basic familiarity with molecular biological or chemical assays (PCR, Gel electrophoresis, DNA quantification, microscopy, etc.).
  • Experience with coding and cloud computing platforms to develop, debug, and document scripts (Python, and C# or Java). Experience with connecting instruments via IOT is a plus.
  • Interest in robotics, automation, or laboratory systems, demonstrated through academic projects, internships, personal projects, or hobbyist work.
  • Interest in growing into more advanced areas of lab automation, robotics, or AI-enabled systems.
  • Exposure to laboratory automation environments in academic, biotech, or pharmaceutical settings.
  • Familiarity with robotic arms, motion control, or ROS is a plus, but not expected for entry-level candidates.
  • Experience with automation scheduling or orchestration software (e.g., Cellario, Momentum, GBG) is a plus.
  • Comfort working across disciplines and communicating with scientists and engineers.
  • Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn by doing.

 

What We Offer

  • Experience in operating and building a state-of-the-art automation laboratory
  • Exposure to robotics and data flow infrastructure management
  • The opportunity to be part of a passionate team working on groundbreaking drug discovery projects
  • A dynamic, innovative, and supportive work environment.
  • Professional growth and development opportunities in a rapidly growing company.

 

Hourly Compensation

$60-75/hr

Expected Duration

6 Months

 

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: Xaira Therapeutics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or employees. Xaira Therapeutics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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