Manager/ Director, Engineering

Biohub is the first large-scale initiative bringing frontier AI models, massive compute, and frontier experimental capabilities under one roof. We're building a general-purpose system to accelerate scientific discovery, integrating frontier AI models, biological foundation models, and lab capabilities, with the ultimate goal of curing disease. Our technology powers scientists around the world, translating AI capabilities into tools that accelerate research everywhere.

The Team Our decoding inflammation team builds tools to enable precise molecular-level measurements of inflammation within human tissues in real time, and develop proactive, early interventions that can be deployed when inflammation — which underlies the most significant causes of death worldwide — first flares in the body. You can learn more about our work here . Our team collaborates with three powerhouse universities - Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - to develop first-in-class technologies and make breakthroughs.

Our Vision Pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments Enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas Facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond We are a team of passionate individuals powered by technology, guided by scientific research, and driven by collaboration, working toward a mission to cure or prevent all disease. The Opportunity Biohub seeks a Manager/Director of Engineering to build, scale, and automate next-generation molecular measurement technologies. This role will lead the design and deployment of integrated automation systems that enable high-throughput, high-content, and reproducible experimentation across functional genomics, multi-omics profiling, and advanced cellular systems, including organoids and complex co-culture models.

The position will translate cutting-edge biological objectives into robust, scalable, and automated laboratory infrastructure. The ideal candidate brings deep industry experience building and operating life science technology platforms, particularly in proteomics, functional genomics, transcriptomics, imaging-based assays, and/or organoid systems—combined with strong expertise in robotics, automation engineering, and instrument integration. This leader will architect platforms that move beyond commoditized automation toward flexible, adaptive systems capable of executing complex biological protocols at scale, with tight integration between experimental workflows, data systems, and computational analysis pipelines.

What You'Ll Do

Automation, Robotics, Instrumentation Lead the development and integration of advanced robotic systems for liquid handling, organoid handling, environmental control, and assay execution. , spatial omics, proteomics, high-content imaging) directly into automated pipelines. Develop custom hardware, fixtures, and accessories where commercial solutions are insufficient.

Ensure seamless integration between robotic systems, LIMS, data pipelines, and downstream analysis infrastructure. Industry Ecosystem Leadership Leverage deep industry knowledge to evaluate and implement best-in-class commercial instrumentation, robotics platforms, and automation software. Build and manage strategic relationships with automation vendors, instrument manufacturers, and contract engineering partners.

Conduct rigorous technical diligence of vendors and outsourced development partners. Define clear technical specifications, milestones, and quality standards for external contributors. Identify opportunities to translate internally developed platform innovations into Broader partnerships or collaborative networks.