Senior Engineer, Automation

JOB PURPOSE

Sana Biotechnology is looking to expand our team with hard-working individuals who believe in the potential of cells as engineered medicines, have the vision to do creative things, and the determination to execute that vision.

Sana Biotechnology is seeking a highly skilled and creative engineer/scientist to drive implementation of automation solutions across Sana's R+D portfolio. In this role you will work closely with cell engineering, analytical genomics, cell line development, and analytical development teams to automate cell culture, cell line development, cell-based assays, and next generation sequencing workflows to enhance. process efficiency and reproducibility. The successful candidate will influence design and build requirements of new automated platforms, lead development and implementation of automated scripts, train end users, and support the long-term use of the platforms. The qualified individual should have experience working with standalone and integrated systems in a fast-paced environment. The individual should also possess strong time management, organization, and communication skills along with exceptional attention to detail.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement robust and scalable automation methods for standalone and integrated systems.
• Develop automation solutions for cell culture, cell line development, analytical assays and NGS library preparation.
• Build great working relationships with vendors to drive successful collaborations on new installations, service calls, and platform development efforts.
• Work with biology and analytical teams to identify unmet needs and suggest new instrumentation and / or automation solutions to address them
• Coordinate testing and deployment of new automation methods with project teams
• Interface with Informatics and Computational Engineering colleagues to address sample data tracking and data analysis automation
• Work with Facilities, IT and Data Infrastructure teams to bring new technologies in and properly onboard them.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Basic Qualifications

• BA or MS plus 7 yrs or equivalent combination of education and work experience; strong knowledge of required principals and concepts with understanding of context for application and deep subject matter expertise seen as emerging leader.
• Extensive experience programming at least one of: Hamilton STAR / Vantage, HighRes Prime, CyBio FeliX, Biomek FX, Tecan Fluent / Evo liquid handlers. Experience with scheduling software and integrated device management is a plus.
• Experience developing automation solutions for adherent and suspension cell line workflows
• Experience with Cell Line Development and/or analytical workflows
• Experience producing documentation for process validation and standardized operating procedures
• Experience calibrating, maintaining and performing quality control on automation equipment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail and data quality, experience working on diverse collaborative teams, and an ability to execute in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Demonstrated strong analytical, problem-solving abilities and decision-making skills
• Must be detail oriented, self-motivated, flexible, and able to prioritize and manage several fast-paced projects concurrently
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences
• The candidate should be collaborative, a team player and demonstrate curiosity
• Must be highly organized and have the ability to manage multiple initiatives with many stakeholders
• Proven track-record adapting to increasing scope and complexity of work brought on by growth/change and managing through change and ambiguity
• Ability to engage in crucial conversations - providing and receiving feedback
• Working safely in person on a predictable and regular in-person basis is an essential job function for this position and the Company requires that all individuals working in-person, subject to certain exceptions, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Hamilton Vantage and Venus on Vantage (VoV) software
• Experience with HighRes Prime and Cellario
• Scripting ability in a language like python or C# as well as working knowledge of SQL and databases.
• Experience with CyBio FeliX
• Familiarity with version control and working with git repositories
• Familiarity with Benchling

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.

The Company is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. We cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off, parental leave, short and long term disability, financial wellness programs, a 401(k) Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually.