Automation Engineer I/II - Discovery Oncology

Eli Lilly

New York, NY

Pay: $72,000-$189,200/yr

Shift: Full time

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Summary

We're looking for an Automation Engineer I/II to help build, operate, and maintain the automated systems that power our laboratory workflows. You'll work alongside a senior Lab Automation Engineer, Automation Scientist, and bench scientists to keep systems running reliably and to support the rollout of new automated workflows — with the senior Lab Automation Engineer serving as your primary technical mentor as you grow into a more senior automation role. This role reports to the AVP-Automation, Discovery Oncology and will be on-site in NYC.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain lab automation equipment (liquid handlers, plate readers, robotic workcells, etc) to support daily experimental throughput
• Assist in troubleshooting instrument and integration-level errors; escalate complex root-cause issues to the team
• Support installation, calibration, and preventive maintenance of automated workcells and liquid handlers
• Write and modify basic automation scripts/protocols (e.g., in Python, C#, Fluent Control, or Cellario) under guidance
• Document SOPs, error logs, and maintenance records to support reproducibility and audit-readiness
• Partner with lab scientists and automation scientists to understand workflow requirements and translate them into automation-friendly steps
• Monitor system performance and flag opportunities for reliability or throughput improvements
• Provide day-to-day technical support to bench scientists using automated systems
• Take on increasing ownership of small technical projects under the Sr Advisor Lab Automation Engineer's mentorship, as a growth path toward more senior automation engineering work

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, or related technical field (or equivalent experience)
• 1–2 years of experience with laboratory automation, robotics, or a related hands-on technical role (internships count)
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Vaccine Company will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with liquid handling platforms (e.g., Hamilton, Agilent, Tecan, Beckman Coulter/Labcyte)
• Basic scripting ability (Python, VBA, C# or similar)
• Strong attention to detail and good documentation habits
• Comfortable working hands-on in a wet lab environment; some roles require standing/lifting up to 25 lbs
• Good communicator, eager to learn from senior team members
• Experience using AI to write code or create simple UIs
• Experience executing scientific experiments in the lab
• Familiarity with lab scheduling software (Cellario, Momentum, GBG, etc)
• Coursework or experience with CAD (SolidWorks, Inventor)
• Familiarity with PLCs, safety circuits, or basic controls

**Additional Information:**

• The appointed candidate will work on-site, full-time, in New York, NY

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

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Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia (AMECA), Black Employees at Lilly (BE@Lilly), Chinese Culture Network (CCN), EnAble, Evolve, Lilly Indian Network (LIN), Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), Pride (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN) and Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL).