Senior Laboratory Automation Specialist

Saffron Walden, United Kingdom

2026-03-02 (Europe/London)

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

Are you a talented Senior Laboratory Automation Specialist with a strong background in leading and delivering complex automation projects? Are you passionate about managing people, providing technical guidance, mentoring, and supporting their professional development? If you are, then keep reading because we have an exciting opportunity for you!

Here at the world-famous Sanger Institute, we are seeking a highly experienced Senior Laboratory Automation Specialist to join the Laboratory Automation Team within the Sequencing Operations Research and Development group. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of automation at the Institute, delivering innovative solutions that enhance efficiency and support cutting-edge science.

About the role:

As a Senior Laboratory Automation Specialist, you will:

• Play a leading role in defining and driving the vision for laboratory automation across Scientific Operations (SciOps) and the wider institute.
• Manage a group of highly skilled Automation Specialists, guiding their work to deliver this strategic vision.
• Develop a thorough understanding of work being performed across Sanger to identify areas where automation can add value.
• Take full ownership of designing and implementing optimal solutions, leading project delivery, and ensuring the successful deployment of novel automated workflows and technologies.
• Collaborate closely with key stakeholders across the Institute, including senior management, to ensure the seamless end-to-end integration of new processes.
• Build strong relationships across SciOps and faculty programs to foster innovation and grow our science.
• Engage with external collaborators to evaluate and integrate new technologies, ensuring the Institute remains at the forefront of laboratory automation.​

About you:

You will be an experienced manager of people and an entrepreneurial thinker with a track record in initiating concepts and project managing them through to completion, within agreed budget constraints, timescales and quality standards.

You will have extensive knowledge and experience of method writing on large liquid handling platforms (e.g. Hamilton, Agilent Bravo, Tecan, Beckman, etc.) within the context of high-throughput pipeline development. You will be agile in response to changing requirements with a focus on efficiency and continuous process improvement.

You will be able to critically evaluate liquid handling platforms and performance data to identify the optimal technology. You will have the ability to work collaboratively, communicate effectively and influence a range of internal stakeholders at all levels. You will also be comfortable working independently and prioritising your workload, as well as managing and balancing the workloads of others to ensure team objectives are met effectively and efficiently. You will have strategic awareness and the ability to support large-scale projects in a complex, ever-changing environment.

About Us:

The two divisions central to this role are Cellular Operations (CellOps) and Sequencing Operations (SeqOps). CellOps specialises in large-scale cell biology research and is continually evolving to meet the changing needs of the Institute. To date, the focus has been scaling cell culture, cell line engineering, cell model derivation and differentiation, whole-genome CRISPR screening, and flow cytometry.

SeqOps is responsible for generating high-quality genomic data and resources by transforming ambitious experimental concepts into robust pipelines that support the Institute’s scientific objectives. From cancer research and single-cell analysis to studies of parasitic organisms and endangered species, our sequencing teams leverage specialist expertise across a wide range of technologies and applications, including short-read and long-read sequencing, single-cell platforms, and spatial genomics.

The Laboratory Automation Team resides within the SeqOps Research and Development group, which serves as the entry point for new technologies to SciOps. The team evaluates and implements novel methods and automated workflows to optimise the efficiency, quality, and throughput of all incoming technologies, ensuring maximum benefit for researchers across the Institute.

• https://www.sanger.ac.uk/programme/cellular-operations/
• https://www.sanger.ac.uk/group/operations-dna-pipelines/
• https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/our-vision/

Other Information:

• Salary range: £53,717 - £64,459
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Full role profile can be found here.

Application Process:

Please include a cover letter with your CV, detailing how your knowledge, skills, and experience match the essential requirements of the role.

Closing Date: Monday 02-MAR-26

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.