Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations
GinkGo Bioworks
Posted
Jan 18, 2026
Location
USA
Type
internship
Compensation
$37700 - $53500
Mission
What you will drive
Core 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.
Impact
The difference you'll make
This role helps push Ginkgo's "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation by being the hands-on force behind deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, which are modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab, ultimately contributing to making biology easier to engineer to answer global challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more.
Profile
What makes you a great fit
Required skills, experience, 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.
Benefits
What's in it for you
Compensation, perks, culture highlights:
- Base salary range: $37,700-$53,500
- Company stock awards
- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage
- Health spending accounts
- Voluntary benefits
- Leave of absence policies
- 401(k) program with employer contribution
- 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown
- Unlimited Paid Time Off policy