Applications Specialist - Laboratory Automation (UK/Europe)

About Us: 

HighRes is a Beverly, Massachusetts–based life science laboratory automation company. We partner with biotech, pharmaceutical, and research organizations to design and implement intelligent laboratory workflows — combining hardware, software, and services to make scientific work more efficient and reproducible. Our platform spans liquid handling, robotic systems, and lab orchestration software (Cellario), supporting high-throughput workflows in drug discovery, genomics, and synthetic biology.

Job Summary: 

The Applications Specialist – Laboratory Automation has two core functions:

• Partner with Sales Managers to support the progression of new business opportunities into delivered projects. This includes in-depth analysis and translation of customers’ scientific requirements, design of technical solutions and presentations/demonstrations to support and de-risk this process.
• Work with internal colleagues and current customers to ensure all elements of system purchases comprise the right solution for the customer’s needs. This includes detailed handover to the deployment team, and occasionally includes help with technical implementation, acceptance testing or customer support. 

The position is educational, challenging, and rewarding, using your scientific skills to connect life sciences with automation.  The Applications Specialist fulfils a critical, customer-facing role in successful establishment of our products as an integral part of each customer’s business.

Position Responsibilities:

• Analyze customer requests for proposals and define the optimal technical solution including workflow modelling and throughput analysis, instrument specification and system layout review.
• Compose skilled technical documentation for proposal and specification documents, provide presentations to support the sales process.
• Work with Project Managers and Deployment Specialists to ensure accurate deployment of systems.
• Assist with the development of client protocols that will run on our robotic systems.
• Participate in conferences/exhibitions with sales team, and support marketing efforts.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry application trends, including methodologies, new devices/instruments, and software tools.

Characteristics for Success

• Ability to shift appropriately between detail-oriented tasks and “big picture” perspective, for efficacious progression of a project
• Enthusiasm for a variety of technical and collaborative responsibilities, coupled with a sense of ownership/responsibility
• High tolerance for challenge, enjoy being a “go-to” resource for knowledge and problem-solving

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

• Technical Background – minimum BS degree in Scientific/Engineering discipline.
• Minimum five years’ industry experience, with preference to Biotechnology-specific experience.
• Experience in automated laboratory systems and devices in a high throughput screening, compound management, drug discovery, genomics or research automation setting is desired.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, customer service and negotiation skills. 
• Experience with scheduling software for automated laboratory systems is a plus.
• Experience with custom scripting of lab automation instrumentation, or experience with larger custom software or LIMS integration projects in a lab setting is a plus.

Additional Requirements:

• Domestic and international travel at times; passport and driver’s licence required.