Software Engineer, Lab Automation

About Plasmidsaurus

Plasmidsaurus is on a mission to accelerate new cures and promote a healthier planet by unlocking a new level of productivity for scientists. Our sequencing services are used daily by thousands of innovators, including Nobel laureates, Fortune 100 pharma, and over 70,000 scientists.

We began by revolutionizing plasmid sequencing, making it exponentially cheaper and faster, with innovative sequencing technologies and a global network of laboratories that turn samples into answers in hours, not weeks.

Now we are expanding that same disruptive model across all of genomics. With the launch of our new RNA-seq service, we are taking a bold step toward our vision to sequence everything, providing scientists everywhere with faster, simpler, and more affordable access to the data that powers discovery.

Every team member at Plasmidsaurus plays a crucial role in driving the future of biotech research. Together, we are building the world’s most efficient sequencing engine that operates overnight, scales globally, and helps scientists make breakthroughs faster than ever before.

Position Overview

As a Lab Automation Software Engineer at Plasmidsaurus, you will play a crucial role in automating and optimizing our sample processing pipeline.

You'll be directly responsible for developing, deploying, and maintaining software that orchestrates machines across our global network of labs. You’ll work at the boundary between software and physical systems, building reliable control software for machines that run unattended overnight and must fail safely when the real world doesn’t behave as expected.

Your work will directly increase lab throughput, reduce hands-on technician time, and improve yield and reliability across thousands of samples per day.

Your responsibilities will span:

• Writing production-quality Python code to control our robotic platforms, integrating with various lab instruments.

• Building APIs, backend services, and web tools that allow our instruments and technicians to coordinate sample processing every day.

• Collaborating with our world-class scientists to productionize new lab protocols, leveraging your expertise in automation to scale and refine these processes.

• Developing monitoring systems to proactively identify and address issues with our fleet of robots in the field.

• Developing infrastructure to deploy computer vision algorithms for dynamic sample processing and identifying problems in real time.

Culture

You are someone who:

• Enjoys high agency and high ownership work.

• Is curious about learning from other people’s expertise in scientific/biological domains.

• Is excited to make an impact on the scientific community, enabling the next generation of medicines, biotechnology, and even plant-based-meats!

• Can lead projects from idea to production independently.

• Is a life-long learner.

• Is excited to work in a tight-knit fast-paced environment with a motivated team.

• Values clear communication and helping others learn new skills.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Math, Physics, or technical subject.

• 4+ years of industry experience building software workflows to operate physical systems.

• Experience with REST API best practices and designing service-oriented architectures.

• Experience with SQL and data modeling in relational databases.

• Experience with full-stack Python web frameworks like Flask or Django.

• Some familiarity with modern frontend javascript frameworks (React, Vue, Svelte).

• Familiarity working in AWS and infrastructure-as-code best practices.

• Experience working with Linux servers.

• Experience deploying computer vision systems for real-time feedback (e.g., OpenCV, PyTorch).

• (Preferred) Experience in robotics, lab automation, manufacturing, or industrial systems.

• (Preferred) Some experience with C# and .NET frameworks for scripting automation equipment.

• (Preferred) interest in learning about biotechnology and DNA sequence analysis.

We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't perfectly align with the job description as we seek out diverse and creative perspectives. Team members who love to learn and collaborate in an inclusive environment will thrive with us. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. If you need additional accommodations to feel comfortable during your interview process, please let us know at [email protected].