Job Description:

Position Summary:

The Manager, Automation Engineering will drive the automation development and sustainment of our deployed clinical diagnostic products within the Illumina clinical labs. The primary function of this position will be help build and drive vision for automation in Illumina Lab Services as well as to lead a team of engineers responsible for automating molecular diagnostic assay workflows using liquid handling systems in a clinical lab for patient care. The role will work closely with operations, product development, software development, quality, commercial, and Sr. leadership teams. The ideal candidate will have experience interfacing with development teams, leading teams from concept to launch, facilitating transfer of lab protocols from product development into a clinical laboratory, and driving data based decisions. The automation team is responsible for transitioning manual workflows and processes on to semi/fully automated robotics systems as appropriate and provide ongoing support and continuous improvement of these systems.

Responsibilities:

• Leads a team of automation engineers supporting projects for clinical laboratory operations.


• Work with Sr Leadership to create and drive vision for automation in ILS and collaborations with other internal illumina groups


• Supervise team and apply management skills to improve efficiency and accomplish operational objectives within team.


• Leads team to oversee transition of manual workflows onto automated systems and liquid handlers


• Drive optimization of existing automated processes to improve efficiency, throughput, robustness and quality


• Coaches team members to support skill development and career growth.


• Able to create requirements, plan activities and contribute to budget of allocated project scope, and prioritization of activities/assignments to supporting team members.


• Author, execute and document test plans and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for automated workflows


• Provide support for existing equipment and coordinate vendor support as required


• Monitor, evaluate, and recommend new and emerging technologies in laboratory automation systems


• Able to identify risk and provide recommendations for risk mitigation in area of responsibility and at project level.


• Design and execution of experiments to support process changes.


• Queries and analyzes process data to help drive sustainment and development efforts.


• Configure, program and troubleshoot laboratory automated platforms


• Supports clinical laboratory and product development process engineering needs.


• Be a technical and integration representative for Operations on cross functional initiatives.


• Collaborate with scientists, bioinformatics, engineering, software and commercial teams to develop, transfer, and sustain new products into the Clinical laboratory.


• Supports and troubleshoots existing processes and provides guidance on potential enhancements.

Requirements:

• Experience in creating and driving vision for team as well as leading team to meet objectives


• Proficiency in both writing and optimizing scripts on automated liquid handling platforms (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman, KingFisher, SPT, etc.,) preferred


• Experience in driving continuous improvement projects


• Experience with writing and executing test protocols


• Experience with NGS methods is strongly preferred


• Statistical background for data analysis, process monitoring and QC.


• Effective organizational and time management skills. Highly energetic and self-motivated.


• Experience working in a clinically regulated environment is highly desirable


• Experienced in defining requirements for lab workflows and LIMS systems.


• Background with validation and verification processes in a regulated laboratory.


• Ability to think innovatively toward solving problems effectively and efficiently.


• Adept inter-personal skills to contribute to cross functional project teams and work with stakeholders.

Education:

• BSc/MS: 8+ years of experience


• Masters: 6+ years of experience


• PhD: 4+ years of experience

Listed responsibilities are an essential, but not exhaustive list, of the usual duties associated with the position.  Changes to individual responsibilities may occur due to business needs.

At Illumina, we strive to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace by cultivating an environment in which everyone contributes to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always been rooted in openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative views and perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and demonstrate our collective commitment to diversity and inclusion in the communities we live and work. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

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