Lab Automation Engineer

<p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Adaptyv is building an automated lab that lets AI agents run biology experiments. </strong></p><p style="min-height:1.5em">We're entering the era of agentic science where AI models can now design novel proteins, propose hypotheses, and iterate on experimental results. But they can't run the experiments themselves - that's still a manual, months-long process. We're building the infrastructure that gives AI agents access to the physical world.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">We are one of the fastest growing biotech companies, trusted by leading biopharmas, frontier AI labs, and the techbio companies pushing the field forward. This is a rare chance to help advance some of the most important work happening in biotech today.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">Our automated lab is powered by a deep software + hardware stack: lab instruments worth millions of USD reverse-engineered into API-controllable hardware, dozens of devices orchestrated through complex workflows, full observability on everything that happens in the lab, processing pipelines for messy physical-world data, and AI systems that troubleshoot production results and accelerate assay development.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">We’re growing rapidly and are hiring for talented people to scale and support the massive demand for AI-driven wet lab experimentation.</p><h2>About the Role</h2><p style="min-height:1.5em">We build our lab automation ourselves. Instead of buying turnkey systems and running them through a vendor's GUI, we reverse-engineer instruments, control them with open-source Python tooling like <strong>PyLabRobot</strong> and <strong>PyHamilton</strong>, and build the software and hardware to turn a pile of instruments into work cells that run biology around the clock.</p><p style="min-height:1.5em">We're looking for a Lab Automation Engineer to help design, build, and run these systems. This is a broad role: on any given week you might be writing a driver for a new instrument, getting a liquid handler and a robot arm to hand off cleanly, or debugging why an overnight run stalled. We care far more about range, ability, and drive than years on any one platform.</p><div style="min-height:1.2em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"> </div><h2>What You'll Do</h2><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Control lab instruments — liquid handlers, robot arms, plate readers, incubators, analytical devices — programmatically in Python, ideally with PyLabRobot / PyHamilton, rather than locking workflows into proprietary software.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Build and integrate work cells: get multiple instruments working together as one orchestrated unit that runs unattended.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Bring new instruments online by reverse-engineering their control protocols and building drivers that expose them to the rest of the stack.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Write the software glue — drivers, integrations, small services — that connects hardware to our platform (mostly Python, with some TypeScript).</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Partner with biologists to turn new assays into reliable automated workflows, then keep them running: diagnosing and fixing the mechanical, electrical, and software failures that come with 24/7 production.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em">Push throughput and reliability up continuously — better error recovery, smarter scheduling, sturdier hardware.</p></li></ul><div style="min-height:1.2em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"> </div><h2>What We're Looking For</h2><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Maker and hacker attitude.</strong> You like taking systems apart, figuring out how they work, and building the thing that makes them work better. You'd rather script an instrument than click through it.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Strong software engineering skills.</strong> You write real Python and can structure code others can maintain — drivers, integrations, services — not just throwaway scripts. You'll pick up TypeScript where needed.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Lab automation experience.</strong> Hands-on with PyHamilton, PyLabRobot, Opentrons, or similar tooling is a strong plus. Direct experience automating instruments and workflows matters more than the specific platform.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Self-starter and independent.</strong> You see what needs building and build it. You don't wait for a spec, and you don't need a vendor training course to get going.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>AI-native builder.</strong> It's 2026 — you build with coding agents like Claude Code as a default, and you have sharp judgment about what they produce.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Hardware comfort is a plus.</strong> Electronics, microcontrollers, 3D printing, CAD, or fabrication experience all help, but they're not required if your software and automation skills are strong.</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Debugging instinct.</strong> When something fails mid-run, you reason across software, firmware, electronics, and mechanics to find the cause and fix it.</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em">Biology background not required — but you should be excited that the robots run real experiments.</p><div style="min-height:1.2em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"> </div><h2>Details</h2><ul style="min-height:1.5em"><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Location:</strong> Lausanne, Switzerland (on-site — you're building physical systems)</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Type:</strong> Full time</p></li><li><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Start date:</strong> ASAP</p></li></ul><p style="min-height:1.5em"></p><p style="min-height:1.5em"><strong>Application deadline</strong></p><p style="min-height:1.5em">We are reviewing applicants on a rolling basis.</p><p>Find more <a href="https://www.arbeitnow.ch/english-speaking-jobs">English Speaking Jobs in Switzerland</a> on Arbeitnow</a>