Scientific Applications Engineer, Benchling & Lab Platforms

The Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering (BIIE) is a new interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to innovation in immune engineering. Founded in 2025 through a generous endowment from Fondation Botnar the BIIE supports scientists in taking on some of the worlds most challenging problems in immunology and global health. The institute unites experts across immunology biomedicine bioengineering computational biology artificial intelligence and machine learning creating a unique multidisciplinary environment with a mission to make a lasting impact and to train future leaders in immune engineering. BIIEs cutting-edge research spans systems immunology synthetic biology and computational immunology.

At the BIIE We are implementing Benchling as our Electronic Lab Notebook/Laboratory Information Management System (ELN/LIMS) to enhance our R&D data management. We seek a skilled Scientific Applications Engineer to customize and support this platform enabling our researchers to record manage and analyze experimental data efficiently. This role sits within the research operations group at the BIIE but will work day-to-day with scientists at the bench as well as the automation team bridging cutting-edge immunology research with modern data infrastructure.

Tasks

• Benchling Platform Configuration: Serve as the in-house Benchling expert and administrator. Configure the Benchling R&D Cloud to fit our research workflows including designing custom entity schemas (for samples assays inventory) setting up templates/protocols for experiment entries and configuring workflows (e.g. request & results tracking). Continuously optimize the Benchling tenant for usability and efficiency as our needs evolve.
• Scientific Workflow Analysis: Work closely with BIIEs research teams to understand their experimental workflows and data tracking needs. Translate these requirements into Benchling configurations or suggest process improvements.
• LIMS Implementation & Customization: Develop and implement custom extensions or modules within Benchling to cover any functionality gaps. For example create custom dashboards or analytical reports for scientists and use Benchlings APIs & App Canvas to script repetitive tasks and ensure data integrity across projects. Work with Benchlings support and services team as needed to deploy advanced configurations (e.g. validation workflows custom integrations).
• Systems Integration: Integrate Benchling with other laboratory and data systems to streamline data flow. This includes connecting instruments and automation equipment to Benchling (for automatic data upload) and integrating Benchling with our other platforms (such as data analysis pipelines or a data warehouse) via APIs. Develop Python scripts or use integration tools to ensure sample and experiment data in Benchling can be pushed to or pulled from external databases and analysis software.

Requirements

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Biology Bioinformatics Computer Science or a related field. Familiarity with immunology or biomedical research environments is highly advantageous enabling you to better understand and anticipate the scientists needs.
• 2 years experience administering or implementing ELN/LIMS platforms in a research or clinical lab setting. Direct experience with Benchling is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in scripting/programming for data integration and automation. Python experience is required (e.g. for using Benchlings APIs or processing data exports). SQL knowledge is required for querying and potentially interfacing with relational databases. Experience with RESTful APIs and data formats (JSON CSV) is expected.

At BIIE you will be an integral part of a mission to accelerate immunology breakthroughs. This role offers the opportunity to shape how cutting-edge research data is captured and utilized by building a digital foundation for our labs. You will work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary setting. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package opportunities for professional development (including Benchling certification programs) and the chance to make a tangible impact on scientific discovery by empowering researchers with effective technology.