Applications Manager, Laboratory Automation

Who We Are:

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico’s highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science, and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.

Position Description:

Calico is seeking a motivated Applications Manager, Laboratory Automation to join our team.  This position will lead a team of automation engineers responsible for developing protocols on our liquid handling and robotic platforms.  They will collaborate with scientists and engineers to create new workflows that will accelerate Calico’s research projects.  The applications team develops solutions that are used across many different labs at Calico: NGS library preparation, sample preparation for mass spectrometry, protein expression and purification, high content screening, and other areas.  Responsibilities will include:

• Leading a team of engineers to design and build workflow process on Calico’s liquid handling and integrated robotic platforms
• Collaborating closely with Calico’s scientists to understand their needs and constraints
• Creative troubleshooting to solve unique and complex problems
• Actively participating in system planning processes - acting as automation subject matter expert during discussions of scope, scalability, and feasibility for new projects
• Supporting best practices for applications development and long-term collaborations
• Drafting plans for testing and validation to ensure that the systems are operating within specification and robust against errors
• Creating documentation and training plans for new and existing processes
• Creativity, strategic thinking, and the ability to collaborate productively will be critical to success in this position.

Position Requirements:

• BS/MS in science or engineering discipline, minimum 10 years of relevant experience, PhD not required
• In-depth experience programming complex automated liquid handling systems (Hamilton, Tecan, Agilent, etc.)
• Experience with many different lab technologies and techniques: NGS, HTS, cell culture, functional genomics, etc.
• Experience developing connections between lab automation systems and laboratory information management systems
• Experience with project management
• Experience managing direct reports
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and be productive in a cross-functional team
• Must be willing to work onsite at least four days per week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $187,000 - $190,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.