Posted 8 months ago
Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations
AI Summary
An Automation Scientist Intern operates and maintains a fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs), queues and monitors molecular and cell biology protocols, performs error recovery, and prepares/onboards reagents and consumables.
About this role
Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.
The role is based out of Ginkgo’s Boston, MA location and requires regular in-person attendance.
About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.
Responsibilities:
- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows. In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.
Preferred Qualifications:
- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.
Bonus (not required):
- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video
About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.
Responsibilities:
- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows. In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.
Preferred Qualifications:
- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.
Bonus (not required):
- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video
The base salary range for this role is $37,700-$53,500. Actual pay within this range will depend on a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.
*It is expected that all Internships are onsite five days a week.
Skills
Explore related jobs
More jobs at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.
- Software Engineer III - Driver Developer (Autonomous Lab)Boston, Massachusetts
- Associate Director, Environmental Health and SafetyBoston, Massachusetts
- Scientist, AI/ML — Antibody DevelopabilityCalifornia, United States
- Cheminformatics & Synthesis PredictionBoston, Massachusetts
- Computational Synthetic ChemistBoston, Massachusetts
- Senior Director, MultiomicsBoston, Massachusetts
Similar Automation jobs
Jobs in Boston
Paid Healthcare Training - Become a Sleep Technologist - Entry LevelNeurocare Inc · Boston, Massachusetts
Medical Device Tech - No Prior Experience Needed - Paid TrainingNeurocare Inc · Boston, Massachusetts
Polysomnographic Sleep Tech - Part-Time or Per Diem - Multiple Locations AvailableNeurocare Inc · Boston, Massachusetts
Polysomnographic Sleep Tech - Multiple Locations AvailableNeurocare Inc · Boston, Massachusetts
Polysomnographic Sleep TechNeurocare Inc · Boston, Massachusetts- Intervention Support SpecialistAction for Boston Community Development · Downtown Boston - Tremont Street
Browse these categories
Market data for this role
All reports →- SeriesRole reportsOne role family at a time: how many openings, what changed this week, who is hiring, what it pays.
- SeriesSalary reportsWhat employers publish in job postings, by level and workplace. Not self-reported pay.
- Market overviewState of tech hiring, September 2026: up 4.8%Tech hiring rose 4.8% month over month in September 2026, with 411,122 new listings. Customer support and account executive roles led the growth.