Laboratory Automation Engineer

This job is with Johnson & Johnson, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community. Please do not contact the recruiter directly.
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity. Learn more at

Job Function
R&D Operations

Job Sub Function
Laboratory Operations

Job Category
Professional

All Job Posting Locations:
Beerse, Antwerp, Belgium

Job Description
About Innovative Medicine
Our expertise in Innovative Medicine is informed and inspired by patients, whose insights fuel our science-based advancements. Visionaries like you work on teams that save lives by developing the medicines of tomorrow.

Join us in developing treatments, finding cures, and pioneering the path from lab to life while championing patients every step of the way.

Learn more at

We are seeking a motivated Laboratory Automation Engineer to join our R&D Therapeutics Discovery organization in Beerse, Belgium.
This position is part of the global Discovery, Product Development & Supply (DPDS) Operations Team responsible for supporting the Therapeutic Discovery (TD) and Preclinical Safety and Translational Sciences (PSTS) organizations. The Lab Operations team looks after the lab workspace and equipment to enable the scientists to focus on their science using a knowledge of project management, drug discovery instrumentation, data flows and automation, and process excellence to evaluate, develop and deliver drug discovery laboratory processes and infrastructure.

The candidate will work effectively in multi-disciplinary teams and collaborate with external and internal partners - such as IT, Safety, Engineering, Facility Management - thus ensuring flawless execution of all projects and processes connected to the lab workspace and automation in particular. The function requires a hands-on mentality and the ability to work autonomously for longer term activities. The person needs an independent and dynamic mindset to adapt to project developments and propose next steps.

This role focuses on the configuration of laboratory instruments and the implementation of automated scientific workflows. You will support laboratory automation across non-GxP discovery fields, increase efficiency in data & process flows and optimize human instrument and software interaction. In addition, you will contribute to event-driven data architectures both in hardware, software and data flow.

You Will Be Responsible For

• Design and implement automated lab instrumentation and workflows that span hardware, software, and data layers, liaising with fellow team/project members, scientists, IT and automation engineers; all following optimized procedures, priorities and timelines
• Ensure routine and unscheduled interventions on computer and high-end robotic automation platforms are performed within acceptable timeframes, effectively collaborating with external partners/organizations. Take ownership of issue resolution and upgrades
• Supporting the development of event-driven data pipelines that respond to instrument events, runs, and results.
• Translating and scripting R&D processes on automated platforms
• Safeguard a steady and ongoing relationship with scientific and IT staff for efficient operation, improved automation, and workflow process improvements.
• Maintain accuracy of asset management system, both on lab equipment and software
• Review, author, and update department policy/procedures as required
• Observe and apply general laboratory safety standards.

Qualifications / Requirements
Education:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, life sciences, automation, or a closely related field with at least 6 years' experience or a Master's degree with 3 years of experience

Required
Experience and Skills:

• Experience: a minimum of 3 years in automation operation and platform management. Significant experience in the biological, medical device or pharmaceutical field required
• Proven track record with high-end automation platforms in laboratory or research environments; familiarity with laboratory instrumentation and analytical techniques.
• Experience in / understanding of basic concepts in a biological and or chemical laboratory required as well as a background in / keen interest in biological and chemical R&D processes
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, effective organization, communication, and customer service skills.
• Strategic and critical thinking, prioritization, and ability to execute on those strategies.
• Fluency in English and proficiency in Dutch, both written and oral

Preferred

• Systems & integration: Broad experience with robotics, LIMS/ELN, data management systems, and end-to-end system integration (scheduling software, APIs, middleware, data exchange).
• An understanding of Machine Safety and compliance requirements
• Solid working knowledge of laboratory or facilities operations, information systems, laboratory instruments, automation, safety, and compliance
• Knowledge of LIMS/ELN systems, data visualization, and analytics toolsets; experience with programming languages and scripting for automation.
• Cloud and data: Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) and data orchestration/workflow tooling.
• Project management success and change management experience is a plus.

Required Skills
Dutch Language, Feasibility Studies, Robotic Automation, Software Applications, User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

Preferred Skills
Application Programming Interface (API), Database Management, Data Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Python (Programming Language), Service Scheduling, Software as a Service (SaaS)