Cell Line Development Automation Engineer or Senior Research Associate (Contract)

Prolific Machines

Emeryville, California, United States

Posted on: 2025-11-25

Category: agritech

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Senior

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Prolific Machines is an innovative startup biotech on a mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. We believe that we have the only solution to make cultured meat at a price that is competitive with factory farming. We are looking for mission-driven, skilled, and kind people to help create the alternative we need to transition to a more sustainable and healthy future.

Prolific Machines is ushering in a new era of biotechnology with light. Our mission is to make next-generation therapies broadly available to patients. Our first-of-its-kind Photomolecular Platform uses light to precisely guide how cells produce complex biologics, enabling higher titers, improved quality, and faster development timelines. By helping partners overcome today’s manufacturing bottlenecks, we’re accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines. Prolific is supported by leading investors, including Bill Gates’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, and SOSV.

Help us create a brighter tomorrow with biology. We're looking for mission-driven, talented, and kind people to join our team.

We’re looking for an Automation Engineer or Senior Research Associate with experience in CHO cell line development to enable reliable, efficient, and safe execution of CLD workflows by developing, maintaining, and optimizing automated systems—primarily the Tecan platform—to increase data quality, and reproducibility of plate based work. A successful candidate in this role will develop, test, and optimize CLD-specific protocols on the Tecan during the 6 month contract. There is the potential for the contract to develop into a full-time position at the end of the 6 month period. This role will be based primarily on-site in Emeryville, CA.

Diversity: We value diverse people, perspectives, and knowledge. To this end, we aim to foster a sense of belonging that enables everyone to bring their whole, authentic self to work everyday. We are committed to growing a diverse and inclusive team that encompasses all types of people. We believe this can only be achieved by acknowledging the ancestral, historic, and current systemic and communal inequities.

Location: The San Francisco Bay Area (Emeryville, CA)

Responsibilities

Develop, test, and optimize CLD-specific protocols on the Tecan, reducing hands-on time and variability.

Maximize Tecan operation efficiency and minimize execution times.

Integrate additional instruments (e.g., cell counters, incubators) into automated workflows.

Maintain and upgrade instruments, ensuring consistent operation and reducing downtime.

Train and support the CLD team to operate automation confidently and safely.

Qualifications

Hold a Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Biological Sciences (or related field) or Engineering with 2-4+ years of industry experience. Candidates without a degree but with similar industry experience are encouraged to apply.

Have thorough knowledge and experience in CLD automation and demonstrated proficiency in Tecan protocol generation and validation.

Excited to work at a growing Biotechnology company

Excited to work with internal teams to deliver excellent results on projects.

Have strong communication skills, including comfortable sharing knowledge at multiple levels of technical detail and asking for clarification where necessary.

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