Back to jobs
New

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.

About the Role

We are seeking an Automation Engineer Contractor to program, operate, and maintain liquid handling platforms and integrated workcells supporting protein production, analytical, and next-generation sequencing workflows.

This hands-on role is responsible for keeping laboratory automation systems running reliably. You will support daily operations, translate established protocols into automated methods, troubleshoot equipment and workflows, perform routine instrument maintenance, and coordinate service with manufacturers.

We are looking for a dependable, hands-on team member who takes ownership of laboratory automation operations. The ideal candidate combines practical liquid-handling experience with strong troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

You will program, modify, test, and operate liquid handling methods. This includes preparing labware and reagents, monitoring automated runs, documenting deviations, and supporting recovery from workflow interruptions.

You will help keep laboratory instruments and integrated workcells operational through routine and preventive maintenance, calibration checks, light repairs, and structured troubleshooting. You will also coordinate service and repair with manufacturers when needed.

You will operate integrated automation systems, including liquid handlers, plate storage and transport systems, analytical instruments, and scheduling software. You will maintain SOPs, troubleshooting guides, maintenance records, and operating instructions.

You will also support sample tracking, run documentation, and data transfer to LIMS, ELN, and downstream systems, while training and supporting scientists and operators who use the automation equipment.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent relevant industry experience.
  • At least 1 year of industry experience working with automated liquid handling systems in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, or life sciences.
  • Demonstrated experience programming and troubleshooting automated liquid handlers.
  • Basic programming or scripting experience in Python, C#, or another language used for laboratory automation and instrument integration.
  • Experience maintaining or servicing laboratory instruments, including preventive maintenance, basic calibration, light repair, and coordination with equipment manufacturers.
  • Working knowledge of molecular biology and analytical laboratory techniques, including PCR, gel electrophoresis, plate-reader assays, or HPLC.
  • Strong troubleshooting skills across laboratory hardware, software, labware, reagents, and operating procedures.
  • Ability to document technical issues, maintenance activities, and workflow deviations clearly and consistently.
  • Strong attention to detail, organization, and commitment to safe and reliable laboratory operations.
  • Effective communication and collaboration skills across scientific, engineering, operational, and vendor teams.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with Hamilton liquid handlers, including method development, liquid classes, deck configuration, error recovery, and routine maintenance.
  • Experience operating integrated automation workcells and orchestration platforms such as Cellario, Green Button Go, Momentum, or similar schedulers.
  • Familiarity with laboratory informatics systems such as LIMS and ELN, including sample tracking, metadata capture, result transfer, and workflow traceability.
  • Experience connecting laboratory instruments or automation systems through device drivers, APIs, middleware, serial or network communication, or IoT integration frameworks.
  • Experience supporting protein production, purification, analytical, or NGS workflows in a research or production environment.
  • Experience with rapid prototyping and fabrication tools, including CAD, 3D printing, and laser cutting, for developing instrument fixtures, labware adapters, brackets, and other custom automation components.
  • Experience writing SOPs, maintenance procedures, troubleshooting guides, and training materials. 

 

What We Offer

You will work with cutting-edge laboratory automation systems and collaborate with leading scientists and engineers on high-impact protein production, analytical, and NGS workflows. The role offers broad hands-on experience across method development, instrument service, workcell operations, and system integration, with the opportunity to improve the reliability and scale of critical research workflows.

Compensation

Employment Type: Contract

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. The base pay range for this position is expected to be $64-$74 hourly; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

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.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Xaira Therapeutics? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Xaira Therapeutics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.