Automation Service Engineer II (Workcell Assembly & Support)

Company Description

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012 Guardant is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests real-world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care including screening to find cancer early monitoring for recurrence in early-stage cancer and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information visitand follow the company onLinkedInX (Twitter)andFacebook.

Job Summary

Guardant Health is seeking a Senior Automation & Instrumentation Technician to support maintain and optimize automated laboratory equipment and instrumentation used in DNA sequencing workflows. This role will be hands-on requiring the candidate to assemble automated track systems troubleshoot maintain validate and provide input to continuously improve complex automated systems in a regulated laboratory environment. The ideal candidate will be a strong technical problem-solver who thrives in fast-paced operations and collaborates closely with Engineering Quality and Operations teams.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day service support and troubleshooting of automated laboratory instrumentation and processes at Guardant Healths facilities.
• Diagnose and resolve complex electromechanical issues to minimize equipment downtime and maintain operational continuity.
• Perform root cause analysis on instrument failures associated with Guardants DNA sequencing products and implement corrective actions.
• Triage equipment issues and coordinate with vendors and external service providers as needed.
• Assemble and install electromechanical components subsystems control panels safety circuits and automated machinery based on engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Author update and maintain all standard operating procedures (SOPs) work instructions (WKI) and technical documentation for new product assemblies equipment operation and maintenance.
• Perform Installation Qualification (IQ) Operational Qualification (OQ) and Process Qualification (PQ) on new and existing equipment.
• Execute testing and validation activities to verify equipment performance accuracy and reliability.
• Identify troubleshoot and resolve issues identified during installation and validation activities.
• Perform routine corrective and preventive maintenance on laboratory automation and instrumentation.
• Develop execute and improve preventive maintenance schedules to ensure optimal equipment performance.
• Support equipment upgrades and modifications as required to meet operational needs.
• Maintain accurate and organized equipment records maintenance logs and validation documentation.
• Partner with Quality to ensure all documentation meets regulatory and quality system requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability usability and operational efficiency.
• Recommend practical process improvements and assist with execution of improvement initiatives.
• Represent the Automation Service Engineering department in cross-functional meetings providing technical input from an equipment support perspective.
• Support special projects and operational initiatives as assigned.
• Provide hands-on training and mentorship to junior technicians and operators.
• Follow established safety procedures and quality standards during all maintenance testing and installation activities.
• Proactively identify potential safety risks and support corrective actions.
• Work effectively within a team environment and build strong working relationships across departments.
• Participate in an on-call rotation supporting lab operations after-hours.

Required Qualifications

• Technical degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering Mechatronics systems or equivalent experience.
• 3 years of experience supporting automated laboratory equipment instrumentation or electromechanical systems and/or 5 years assembling complex electromechanical instrumentation
• Demonstrated experience operating and troubleshooting:
  • High-throughout automated workcells
  • Precise robotic arms
  • Hamilton Liquid Handlers
  • Illumina Sequencers
  • Dynamic Devices Lynx
  • Agilent Bravo
  • Microplate washers
  • Tecan Sparks
  • Kingfisher extraction systems
  • DNA quantification and sequencing-related instruments

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings schematics and technical documentation.
• Experience with:
  • Virtual machines used to control robotics
  • Troubleshooting complex Excel macros
  • Molecular biology laboratory techniques
  • PLC or HMI programming (a plus not required)

• Working knowledge of electrical and mechanical components such as sensors motors actuators PLCs and control systems.
• Comfortable using tools and test equipment commonly found in automation and instrumentation environments.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting skills with minimal supervision.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to communicate clearly and professionally.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a production or laboratory environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Hybrid Work Model: This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in-person/onsite collaboration and work-from-home days for individual-focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays Tuesdays and Thursdays. We have found aligning our scheduled in-office days allows our teams to do the best work and creates the focused thinking time our innovative work requires. At Guardant our work model has created flexibility for better work-life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.