Automation Engineer II

About Freenome 

Freenome is a high growth biotech company on a mission since 2014 to create tools that empower everyone to prevent, detect, and treat their disease.  To achieve this mission, Freenome is developing next-generation blood tests to detect cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages using our multiomics platform and machine learning techniques. Our first blood test will detect early-stage colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas.

At Freenome you’ll have the opportunity to participate in building a cutting edge clinical laboratory with end to end automation to help fulfill our mission for the early detection and intervention of disease. 

As an Automation Engineer, you will develop automated solutions to support the execution of critical studies, and drive the company toward product commercialization. You will use a wide range of automation tools and grow with our team of highly experienced automation engineers. We work closely with clinical lab teams, service engineers, R&D scientists, and software engineers to evaluate and implement new technology, develop new automated workflows,  and continuously improve the performance and efficiency of the lab.

Your contribution:

• Support execution of sample processing in a regulated clinical lab setting using automated liquid handlers and integrated robotic workcells 
• Develop new hardware, software, and process solutions all the way from proposal to implementation and release to the lab
• Create new liquid handling and robotic methods and optimize them to replace manual operations
• Collaborate with Service and Clinical lab teams to minimize downtime and proactively address potential challenges in the lab
• Identify and communicate suggested process improvements throughout the clinical lab by thinking critically about the entire laboratory workflow
• Participate in optimization and troubleshooting efforts with science and laboratory teams 
• Be the automation first responder to carefully plan and document recovery actions for time sensitive processing issues by applying scientific and automation technical knowledge
• Innovate to solve new and challenging problems in a high pace team oriented environment
• Maintain a focus on quality and communication to build trust and collaboration with cross-functional teams

Your background, perspective and experience: 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an engineering, biochemistry, or related scientific  field.
• 0-2 years programming automated liquid handlers or robotic laboratory workflows, and/or 2-4 years of laboratory experience in the life sciences, especially in high throughput labs. 
• Experience with one or more liquid handling or automation scheduling software with a preference for Hamilton Venus, Agilent VWorks/Bravo, and Thermo Momentum
• Direct experience with immunoassay or NGS workflows and lab processes
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully and collaboratively in a cross-functional team.
• Functional knowledge in experimental design, bench execution, process documentation, and data analysis
• Experience working with a broad set of instruments
• Critical thinking, attention to detail, and ability to address problems systematically and drive to resolution
• Experience working in a regulated environment (CLIA / CAP / NYS / FDA / GCLP / cGMP)

COVID safety:

As a condition of employment, you agree to know and comply with our COVID-19 vaccination policy requiring all employees who work on-site and/or attend work-related events to be fully vaccinated and to receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible. Company employees working on-site are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and to receive a COVID-19 booster once eligible, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved or as otherwise required by law. Absent a reasonable accommodation or legal exception, you agree to provide proof of your vaccination status and to be fully vaccinated by your first day on-site, in accordance with our policy.  If you are currently eligible for a COVID-19 booster, you also agree to provide proof of having received a booster.  If you are not yet eligible for a COVID-19 booster, you must provide proof of receiving a booster within two weeks of becoming eligible.

Freenome is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. Freenome does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Funding

We have raised more than $1.1B from leading investors including Perceptive Advisors, RA Capital Management, Roche Venture Fund, Kaiser Permanente, Novartis and the American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Ventures. 

Freenomers

A ‘Freenomer’ is a mission-driven employee who is fueled by the opportunity to make a positive impact on patients' lives, who thrives in a culture of respect and cross collaboration, and whose work makes a significant impact on the company and their career. 

Freenomers are technical, creative, visionary, grounded, empathetic and passionate. We build teams around divergent expertise, allowing us to solve problems and ascertain opportunities in unique ways. Freenomers are some of the most talented experts in their fields, joining together to advance healthcare, one breakthrough at a time. 

Benefits include but are not limited to:

• Competitive compensation 
• Pre-IPO equity
• Flexible PTO (exempt) and generous PTO (non-exempt) 
• Comprehensive health coverage, including medical, dental, and vision 
• Wellness and mental health resources, including Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), Paid maternity and paternity leave
• 401(k) plan 
• $250.00 new hire stipend to enhance your home office experience
• Plus, a variety of other perks, including pre-tax commuter benefits, two paid volunteer days per year, pet insurance, and additional discounts 

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.  

• Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

Notice to agencies:

Our in-house Talent Acquisition Team manages all employment opportunities at Freenome.  Agencies and independent recruiters must be approved as a vendor by Freenome’s Talent Acquisition team before submitting candidates to any Freenome employee. 

We do not accept unsolicited resumes or biographies from agencies under any circumstances. Any unsolicited resumes sent to Freenome, including those sent to a Freenome email address or directly to Freenome employees, will be considered Freenome property. Freenome will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Freenome will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. 

Please do not contact Freenome employees directly. Compliance with this request will impact our decision to work with you.