Life Science automation specialist - DTU Bioengineering

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Life Science Automation Specialist to join our dynamic team at DTU Bioengineering's laboratory automation facility, in a permanent academic technician (AC-TAP) position. As a key member, you will be responsible for daily operations and coordinating the development and implementation of cutting-edge laboratory automation solutions.

If you are passionate about automation, possess strong problem-solving skills, and have a good understanding of life science processes, we want to hear from you. Join us in revolutionising the future of life science research and make a significant impact on the scientific community.

The automation specialist job
Together with the Head of Section and automation developer group, you will be responsible for creating new automated laboratory workflows and coordinating development activities across research groups. We will together define the future of laboratory automation and push current boundaries for equipment to enable new scientific discoveries and broader adaption of automation in the life science area.

Our vision is to transform the automation field and move beyond current off-the-shelf solutions by redefining and innovating the standards, hardware and software solutions within the field. We believe that laboratory automation should be as simple as plug-and-play computers but that current solutions are inferior and overcomplicated. We favour a bottom-up approach where the users (life scientists) co-develop solutions with a cross-disciplinary team of automation specialists. The interaction further allows all involved to learn new skills and ensures the development of a common language and culture around automation.

At Bioengineering, compared to similar jobs in industry, we offer you a greater level of influence on the automation strategy and technical details of the development work you will be contribute to.

Your specific responsibilities and tasks

• Super-user and coordinator for the automation platform’s daily operation
• Manage user-bookings and payments via a central DTU equipment system
• Maintaining and upgrading the instruments and keeping the core facility operational
• Develop/co-develop new automation workflows and solutions
• Coordinate the development of workflows across multiple research groups
• Contribute to the process of purchasing and installing new robotics solutions
• First point of contact and sparring partner for users
• Train new users (operation, safety and best praxis)
• Teach at shorter practical courses in Life science automation (primarily practical aspects)

Your position in the organisation:

You will be part of the Section for Synthetic Biology's highly skilled technical team, including laboratory technicians, an electrical engineer, and fermentation specialists. Secondly, you will become a vital member of the automation developer group, including other automation specialists (academic technical administrative staff, PhDs and Postdocs) from different research groups and externally funded projects.

You will refer to the Technician coordinator (Jakob Blæsbjerg Hoof) for the day-to-day planning and operation and to the Head of Section (Rasmus J.N. Frandsen) for the strategic work within the automation area.

Qualifications
We expect you to have a Master's degree, or PhD, within a relevant life science area such as biology, biotechnology, or pharm; alternatively, you have an MSc in automation engineer with a well-documented experience of working within the life science area. You must have a good command of English, both spoken and written.

You must have experience with running, maintaining and programming at least one of the below listed liquid handing robotics systems. As you will become a key developer at that platform experience with integrating liquid handlers and analytics equipment, like spectrophotometry, automated incubators, and centrifuges across brand barriers is essential.

Personality wise we are looking for a person who is:

• Organised
• A team player
• Diplomatic in nature
• Outgoing – seeking collaborations when needed and addressing problematic user behaviour
• Innovative/creative – driven by automation tech development rather than biotechnology mission
• Patient and curious - to understand and translate Life science specialists' wishes and needs into robust and flexible automation solutions.

Lastly that you share our vision of developing automation solutions, not for individual projects, but for multiple applications, and with the end-user and community in focus.

What we offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognised for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterised by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

The Bioengineering is a highly innovative and international environment where you continuously will get new input and learn new skills via our collaborative culture. Digitalisation and automation are at the core of the section’s, department’s, and DTU's, strategy, and we host/lead several cross-disciplinary efforts that involve electrical, mechanical, life science and computational engineers and scientists all interested in developing life science automation area. As the primary responsible for the Bioengineering automation facility, you will have plenty of opportunity to develop a broad network across DTU, and beyond by collaboration with biotech and pharma industries and equipment vendors.

We value continuously upgrading our employees' skills, and we will together plan a continued education program tailored to yours and the platform’s needs.

The automation core currently includes the following equipment - Tecan Fluent, Hamilton Microlab STAR, two FlowbotOne, four Opentrons OT2 (plans for Flex when available), Singer mating Rotor, Qpix2 colony picker, four Reshape time-lapse imagers, Growth Profiler, three Biolector II, DNA fragment analyser, and Automated fluorescent microscopy. All equipment is registered and booked through a central IT system, and data is logged into a well-structured data architecture. The user group include both students, researchers across DTU, and private companies.

Salary and appointment terms
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC).

The offered job is a permanent 37 hours/week (full-time) position.

The workplace will be at DTU's campus in Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.

Expected start date: January 1st 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Application and contact
Please submit your online application no later than 30 September 2023. Open the "Apply now" link, fill out the form and attach your motivated application, CV and exam certificates.

If you would like additional information about the position, please contact Head of the Section for Synthetic Biology, Associate Professor, Rasmus J.N. Frandsen, on [email protected] or on phone 2251 1435.

We will continuously evaluate applicants during the posting period, and if possible call for interviews.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

The Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine (DTU Bioengineering) is an international leader in the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine. Our engineering approach to all aspects of biotechnology and biomedicine positions us as a valuable player with unique competences in a growing bio-based economy and with health systems transforming towards personalised medicine. We have a clear focus on the needs in the life science industry and point towards innovation, new businesses, and scientific services for the benefit of society. The department has extensive collaborations with national and international research units and industry. DTU Bioengineering has approx. 400 employees, of which 2/3 are scientific staff. The department is located at DTU Lyngby Campus. You can read more about DTU Bioengineering at www.bioengineering.dtu.dk

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk