Automation Scientist Intern
US$37,500 – US$53,500 / yr base salary
Posted 13 Jan 2026
Advertised as “Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Internship
| Base salary | US$37,500 – US$53,500 / yr |
|---|
Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.
The role is based out of Ginkgo’s Boston, MA location and requires regular in-person attendance.
About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.
Responsibilities:
- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows. In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.
Preferred Qualifications:
- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.
Bonus (not required):
- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video
About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.
Responsibilities:
- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows. In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.
Preferred Qualifications:
- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.
Bonus (not required):
- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video
The base salary range for this role is $37,700-$53,500. Actual pay within this range will depend on a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.
*It is expected that all Internships are onsite five days a week.
It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet. Privacy Notice I understand that I am applying for employment with Ginkgo Bioworks and am being asked to provide information in connection with my application. I further understand that Ginkgo gathers this information through a third-party service provider and that Ginkgo may also use other service providers to assist in the application process. Ginkgo may share my information with such third-party service providers in connection with my application and for the start of employment. Ginkgo will treat my information in accordance with Ginkgo's Privacy Policy. By submitting this job application, I am acknowledging that I have reviewed and agree to Ginkgo's Privacy Policy as well as the privacy policies of the third-party service providers used by Ginkgo's associated with the application process.