Automation Engineer

About QuantumCell

At QuantumCell, we are rewriting the rules of drug discovery — and we're just getting started. We are a dynamic tech company in the biology space on a mission to decode and defeat the most complex brain disorders of our time. By converging next-generation sensing technologies, autonomous robotics, and cutting-edge AI, we are building the world's first high-fidelity virtual cell and virtual system model: a mechanistically anchored simulation of human biology that can predict how drugs will behave in a patient before a single trial is run.

Anchored by world-class scientific partnerships and access to elite computational infrastructure, we generate new types of biological data at a scale and resolution that no one has achieved before. This isn't incremental science. It's a fundamental shift from reductionist biology to a true systems-level understanding of the human brain — and we are looking for bold, brilliant people to help us build it!

The Role

We are seeking an exceptional Automation Engineer to join our Systems Engineering Team—a multidisciplinary group of automation engineers, software engineers, and scientists building and operating one of the most sophisticated integrated robotic systems in CNS drug discovery.

You will be hands-on in the design, integration, programming, and operation of fully automated laboratory platforms that process patient-derived iPSCs, run complex neuronal assays, and interface with cutting-edge analytical instruments. Your work will directly enable the generation of the high-quality, dynamic biological data that feeds our AI models and, ultimately, our drug pipeline.

This is a rare opportunity to work at the convergence of precision automation, life sciences, and frontier AI at a company defining an entirely new category of CNS drug discovery.

What You Will Do

System Design & Integration

• Design, configure, and integrate liquid handling systems such as Tecan Fluent with articulated robotic arms, incubators, centrifuges, plate hotels, washers, and other lab automation unit operations.
• Interface liquid handlers and robotics with analytical instruments including high-content imaging systems, mass spectrometers, plate readers, and quantum sensing instruments
• Develop and optimize worktables, labware definitions, and deck layouts on the liquid handler platform for iPSC culture, neuronal differentiation, and high-throughput cellular assay workflows.
• Collaborate with the biology team to translate manual cell culture and assay protocols—including iPSC maintenance, directed neuronal differentiation, CRISPR perturbations, viability assays, immunocytochemistry, and protein-protein interaction assays—into reliable automated workflows.

Software & Control Systems

• Program and maintain scheduling software to orchestrate multi-instrument workflows.
• Develop instrument drivers, APIs, and middleware to enable bidirectional communication between the liquid handler, robotic arms, analytical instruments, and the laboratory information management system (LIMS).
• Write, version-control, and document scripts and automation methods; contribute to internal software repositories following engineering best practices (Git, CI/CD, unit testing).
• Build dashboards and monitoring tools to provide real-time visibility into system performance, run status, and key QC metrics.

Operations, Maintenance & Reliability

• Own day-to-day operation of integrated robotic systems; perform preventive maintenance, calibration, and troubleshoot hardware and software failures to maintain high system uptime.
• Develop robust error-handling and recovery routines to ensure system resilience during long unattended runs.
• Train biology team members on safe and effective use of automated platforms.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Work closely with biologists to understand experimental design requirements and continuously improve throughput, reproducibility, and data quality.
• Partner with software engineers to integrate robotic systems outputs (images, spectroscopic data, plate reader data) into data pipelines feeding our AI/ML models.
• Contribute to the roadmap for future platform expansions, including integration of novel quantum sensing modalities and next-generation liquid handlers.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams in a fast-moving startup environment, adapting rapidly to evolving scientific and engineering priorities.

What You Will Bring

Required

• B.S. or M.S. in Biomedical engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical engineering, or a closely related science or engineering field.
• 1 - 3 years of hands-on experience programming and operating liquid handling systems such as Tecan Fluent.
• Demonstrated experience integrating liquid handlers with articulated robotic arms and peripheral lab automation hardware.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language relevant to lab automation (Python, C#, VB.NET, or LabVIEW).
• Experience developing or interfacing with scheduling/orchestration software for multi-instrument platforms.
• Solid understanding of cell culture practices, sterile technique, and biosafety requirements (BSL-2) relevant to operating automated biology platforms.
• Excellent problem-solving skills with the ability to diagnose complex hardware and software issues in integrated systems.

Preferred

• Experience with iPSC culture, neuronal differentiation, or stem cell biology workflows in an automated context.
• Familiarity with high-content imaging platforms (e.g., Operetta, ImageXpress, IN Cell) or mass spectrometry integration.
• Familiarity with single cell sequencing workflows.
• Experience with LIMS integration or building data pipelines from automated laboratory instruments.
• Knowledge of CRISPR-based genetic perturbation workflows or high-throughput screening (HTS) operations.
• Experience in a startup or early-stage biotech environment; comfort with ambiguity and rapid iteration.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation package (salary, equity, bonus) based on experience.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Four weeks of paid time off.
• Access to world-class scientific collaborators and leading computational infrastructure, including large-scale GPU clusters and proprietary biological datasets of exceptional scale and resolution.
• A unique opportunity to help define how AI learns from biology at one of the most ambitious companies in CNS drug discovery.
• The chance to contribute to a deeply mission-driven organization focused on transforming patient outcomes and advancing treatments for complex diseases.
• Support for conference attendance and active participation in the scientific community.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and fun culture where you’ll play a key role in building the team, shaping the environment, and driving meaningful impact from the ground up.

How to Apply

Send your CV to: careers@qcell.ai

We are an equal opportunity employer.