Automation Scientist I Reports to: Automation Team Leader
Manchester Science Park (site based role)
Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent
Salary & Benefits: Competitive Salary + Benefits Package
Yourgene Health is a leading integrated technologies and services business, enabling the delivery of genomic medicine. The group works in partnership with global leaders in DNA technology to advance diagnostic science. Our mission to enable scientific advances to positively impact human health remains at the core of our focus. It drives and motivates us to develop class leading products and services to meet our customers’ needs.
Yourgene primarily develops, manufactures, and commercialises simple and accurate molecular diagnostic solutions, for reproductive health, precision medicine and infectious diseases. We have a comprehensive offering of non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) NGS workflows that have been built with labs in mind, and clinical prenatal screening services. Continuing to build on our expertise in cell-free DNA, our next generation size selection Ranger® Technology uses machine vision for superior precision. Yourgene Genomic Services provides a range of genetic analysis services for our clinical, research and pharma customers to support partners with DNA extractions, biobanking, genotyping, arrays and sequencing workflows (WES and WGS). Yourgene Genomic Services offers a Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) Service, enabling clinics to run their own NIPT service for pregnant women with our prenatal screening tests and service laboratory based in Manchester.
Yourgene Health is part of the Novacyt group of companies and is headquartered in Manchester, UK with facilities in Singapore and Canada.
We have nay social and wellbeing initiatives run by our Social Huddle that keep our sense of community alive during challenging times that the pandemic has thrown our way. We are looking to recruit a full-time and permanent Automation Scientist I based onsite from our Manchester headquarters. The Automation Scientist I will design, implement and optimise the automation processes to support the design, development verification and validation of in vitro diagnostic products and services. You will provide automation expertise on development projects, ensuring experimental work is well planned and executed to a high quality in a timely fashion. Provides automation expertise and input into experiments and study designs
Support and, where appropriate, lead, design, planning and reporting automation testing and studies
Work collaboratively with other scientists to automate laboratory processes which meet the user needs of our customers
Create, maintain and improve of laboratory and automation SOPs, as well as systems and process SOPs
Install, test and validate new automation systems
Design and optimise automation workflows to ensure they are compatible with test reagents to meet user requirements
Enable data transfer and traceability between automation platforms and LIMS (or similar) systems
Data generation, ensuring integrity and organized data management
Analysing data to enable interpretation by self and others
Meeting regulatory or other requirements
Participate in activities outside of own team, such as Innovation, Assay Development, Validation and Design Transfer, where required
Train other team members, cross functional colleagues and customers can be trained in the use of laboratory automation equipment and software
Performance of laboratory maintenance tasks such as lab maintenance, stock monitoring, goods in receiving and cleaning
Ensure own work meets regulatory & quality requirements (including compliance to SOPs, documentation using lab books, study plans, study reports and integrity of data)
Typically 2+ years of relevant automation experience
Experience with liquid handlers, plate readers, automation software and equipment; Software programming skills including but not limited to Python, PostgreSQL/batch files and VBA for robotic operation and graphical user interface
Experience of full development cycle designing/adapting robotic platforms (user requirement specifications/FATs and SATs) in conjunction with suppliers an advantage
Able to analyse scientific workflows and recommend changes to improve scientific processes
Capable of analysing data
Enthusiasm, drive, self-motivated, thoroughness, diligence and a willingness to take personal responsibility to ensure that projects are successful
Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office suite
Sunday 27th April, 2025
This policy means that no one will be discriminated against because of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, nationality, citizenship, ancestry, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, genetic predisposing characteristics or any other basis prohibited by law.
Resumes submitted to any Yourgene Health and Novacyt Group employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written and signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Yourgene Health and the Novacyt Group of companies.