Automation Engineer, Lab Automation

Description

The Automation Engineer, Lab Automation will drive innovation and provide technical leadership in laboratory automation to deliver reliable, innovative, compliant, and efficient solutions. This role will collaborate with business stakeholders and the global lab automation community to ensure solutions meet business requirements and align with global standards.

As an employee of Boehringer Ingelheim, you will actively contribute to the discovery, development, and delivery of our products to our patients and customers. Our global presence provides an opportunity for all employees to collaborate internationally, offering visibility and the opportunity to directly contribute to the company's success. We realize that our strength and competitive advantage lie with our people. We support our employees in several ways to foster a healthy working environment, meaningful work, mobility, networking, and work-life balance. Our competitive compensation and benefit programs reflect Boehringer Ingelheim's high regard for our employees.

Compensation Data

The base salary range for this position is $128,000 to $192,000. The position may be eligible for a role-specific discretionary bonus, relocation assistance, and/or other compensation elements. We continuously review market data and may adjust salary ranges as needed in the future. Actual compensation will be based on job-related factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and other factors permitted by law. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement savings opportunities, paid time off, paid holidays, disability and life insurance benefits, and other company-sponsored benefits. For additional information regarding our benefits and Total Rewards offerings, please click here

Duties & Responsibilities

• Project manager for lab automation projects (complex to highly complex automation systems).
• Responsible for the specification and implementation of innovative solutions, as well as further development and optimization of existing systems, within existing lab automation standards and blueprints.
• Development and continuous improvement of technical standards, guidelines, and blueprints within a defined scope of responsibility.
• Responsibility for a designated functional area in collaboration with internal and/or external partners.
• Development of technical concepts and detailed engineering plans within a defined scope / sub-project
• Coordination and communication across heterogeneous and international interfaces.
• Handling complex tasks and complex problem solving across all phases of the development process and across multiple disciplines.
• Responsible for planning, design, installation and testing of technical systems (e.g., manufacturing systems, lab equipment, automation systems) in compliance with GMP and safety requirements.
• Creation of lifecycle concepts, including maintenance strategies and execution of technical requirement analysis.
• Provision of technical consulting services.
• Ensure quality-, time-, and efficiency-compliant establishment, maintenance, and continuous improvement of all technical prerequisites for smooth and cost-effective operation in designated sub-areas.
• Development of maintenance and servicing strategies for specific areas.
• Lead specialist responsibility for at least one domain in a complex and challenging area of responsibility.
• Specialist with a contributing and supporting role in ensuring smooth operations and fault-free processes.
• High demands on decision-making with respect to frequency, potential impact (EHS and economic), and degree of autonomy.
• Processes complex, operationally defined tasks based on in-depth domain expertise and analysis.
• Develops advanced technical designs and contributes to the further development of global standards and blueprints.
• Monitors and integrates the latest developments and trends within the respective field under consideration of global standards.
• Tasks involve a strong analytical component and require cross-process thinking; the focus is on independently ensuring the integrity of the process chain within complex, operationally defined tasks.
• Identifies the need for actions and changes within the area of expertise.
• Works with difficult to highly complex systems (dedicated/single-purpose systems).
• The majority of responsibilities focus on extensive, function-specific operational tasks, as well as continuous development and optimization.
• Development of innovative solutions.
• Strongly domain-focused scope of work with clearly defined boundaries due to a high degree of autonomy.
• Primarily responsible for operational decision-making within the assigned field of expertise.

Requirements

• Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MSc) or equivalent diploma in engineering with minimum three (3) years’ experience required.

OR

• Bachelor's degree with minimum five (5) years of experience required.
• Very strong theoretical knowledge of principles, methods, and tools is required.
• In-depth knowledge within the relevant area of expertise.
• Demonstrates awareness of communication challenges, confidently interacts across diverse interfaces, and conducts negotiations effectively.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
• Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required).
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Desired Skills, Experience and Abilities

Proficiency in modern programming/scripting languages, including:
o Python (strongly preferred)
o Additional languages such as Java, JavaScript, or similar
Experience with system integration, APIs, and data interfaces in laboratory environments.
Strong experience with laboratory automation orchestration, preferably Cellario or equivalent platforms
Experience in developing, maintaining, and optimizing scripts across major liquid handling platforms, including but not limited to:
o Hamilton
o Tecan
o Beckman Coulter
o Opentrons
o Other vendor-specific scripting environments as applicable
Translating experimental protocols into robust, reusable automation methods.
Ensuring method standardization, error handling, and data traceability across platforms.