What are the responsibilities and job description for the Project Manager II, Automation Projects Team position at Ginkgo Bioworks?
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.
Come join Ginkgo Automation, where cutting-edge technology meets scientific expertise. Our platform, built on eight years of internal development, offers advanced hardware solutions called Reconfigurable Automation Carts (RACs) powered by our subscription-based products: Catalyst Software and Apex Support. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by scientists and engineers, our team has created a modular automation platform that aims to revolutionize the way science is done. We are an externally facing team, selling our technology to customers and supporting it at their sites.
We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead complex, cross-functional projects supporting government contracts. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in project management within regulated and/or government environments, demonstrated experience with Earned Value Management (EVM) reporting, and familiarity with hardware systems, laboratory automation, or integrated technology solutions.
In this role, you will work with the Project Team to manage scope, schedule, cost, and risk across multiple teams and workstreams and ensure that all contract deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and in full compliance with government and company standards. This position will be in direct communication with the customer and be responsible for submitting regular updates and relevant documentation.
To learn more about automation engineering at Ginkgo, take a look at our website: Ginkgo Automation
Responsibilities
- Work with the Project Team in the planning, execution, and delivery of projects under U.S. government contracts, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and customer requirements.
- Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, and performance baselines using Primavera, MS Project or an equivalent project management software.
- Generate, interpret and submit EVM reports to monitor performance and support data-driven decisions.
- Coordinate activities across engineering, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to ensure technical and schedule alignment.
- Manage subcontractors and vendors, ensuring timely delivery and compliance with contractual requirements.
- Identify risks and implement mitigation plans throughout the project lifecycle.
- Maintain documentation, change logs, and reporting consistent with FAR, DFARS, and company standards.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, Business or a related technical field
- 2-5 years of project management experience including direct responsibility for schedule, budget and performance tracking
- Experience managing US government contracts and understanding of applicable compliance standards
- Strong communication and leadership skills
- Experiences with Primavera, MS Project or applicable project management software
Preferred Capabilities and Experience
We do not expect that any one candidate will have all of the following capabilities - each is independently a preferred or "nice-to-have" capability.
- Experience in a fast-moving, deep-tech company
- Project management experience, including direct experience managing U.S. government contracts (DoD, DOE, NIH, or similar)
- Proficiency in Earned Value Management (EVM) including baseline planning, variance analysis and performance reporting
- Working knowledge of government contract reporting tools and compliance frameworks
- Experience or understanding of laboratory automation and lab automation user personas
- Experience with hardware development, automation systems, or integrated electromechanical solutions
- Experience or background in a life science or chemistry laboratory
- Demonstrated ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills
The base salary range for this role is $77,300-$109,100. Actual pay within this range will depend on a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer company stock awards, a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, 401(k) program with employer contribution, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.
Ginkgo has implemented a return to office policy effective October 1, 2025 with required in-office days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. This policy applies to all employees who live within 50 miles of Ginkgo's offices in Boston, MA, Emeryville, CA and West Sacramento, CA.
We 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, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet.
Salary : $77,300 - $109,100