Scientist III – Genomics and Laboratory Automation R&D Full-time NEW

Scientist III, Laboratory Automation R&D

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you'll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world's toughest challenges.

Location: 100% on-site in Austin, TX. Work Schedule: Standard (Mon-Fri). Environmental Conditions: Laboratory Setting.

The Scientist III, Laboratory Automation R&D, develops next-generation sample preparation workflows and enables new product innovations across Thermo Fisher's genomics and molecular biology portfolio. This role combines expertise in laboratory technologies and workflow development with scientific problem solving, providing the opportunity to work closely with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to develop novel sample preparation solutions that address emerging customer needs.

The successful candidate will bring strong experience with liquid handling systems and workflow programming while also demonstrating curiosity, creativity, and a passion for scientific innovation. Success in this role requires the ability to move seamlessly between hands-on wet-lab experimentation and technology development, using appropriate procedures to evaluate new concepts, generate feasibility data, and optimize sample preparation chemistries before translating them into robust, scalable solutions.

This position is embedded within a product development organization and requires flexibility to support a broad range of R&D activities based on business priorities. Successful candidates will be comfortable shifting between technology development, workflow innovation, scientific investigations, and product development activities as portfolio needs evolve. This role is focused on advancing new technologies and workflow capabilities rather than supporting routine testing, production operations, or high-throughput service activities.

Location: 100% onsite in Austin, TX

What you will do:

• Lead technical investigations and technology evaluations to identify emerging laboratory technologies and workflow capabilities, establish platform attachment strategies, and advance next-generation genomics, molecular biology, and sample preparation solutions
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and external partners to develop new capabilities and advance workflow innovation and platform integration initiatives
• Partner with multidisciplinary teams to develop and evaluate various sample preparation workflows during early-stage feasibility and innovation projects, translating successful approaches into robust, scalable solutions. This role requires routine transitions between hands-on wet-lab experimentation and technology development activities
• Design, program, optimize, and validate sample preparation workflows across multiple liquid handling platforms, including systems such as Tecan, Hamilton, Opentrons, Beckman Coulter, and other laboratory technologies
• Develop workflow methods and protocols, analyze experimental data, troubleshoot workflow and instrumentation challenges, and generate technical documentation to support product development, technology transfer, and customer adoption

How you will get here:

• Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of experience, Master's degree and 3+ years of experience, or PhD in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline
• Strong hands-on experience programming, scripting, and optimizing liquid handling systems, with demonstrated expertise developing robust workflows and translating laboratory processes into scalable solutions
• Demonstrated scientific versatility with the ability to contribute across laboratory technologies, sample preparation, molecular biology, and technology development activities as business priorities evolve
• Strong understanding of molecular biology, genomics, and sample preparation workflows, with demonstrated ability to evaluate, troubleshoot, and optimize nucleic acid extraction and downstream workflow performance
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, translating scientific requirements into scalable solutions that enable product innovation and customer success
• Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze complex datasets, troubleshoot technical challenges, and implement technology solutions using liquid handling programming environments, instrument software platforms, and scientific data analysis tools
• Track record of scientific or technical contributions through publications, presentations, patents, workflow innovations, software tools, or product launches preferred

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range estimated for this position based in Texas is $83,300.00–$125,000.00.

This position may also be eligible to receive a variable annual bonus based on company, team, and/or individual performance results in accordance with company policy. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• A choice of national medical and dental plans, and a national vision plan, including health incentive programs
• Employee assistance and family support programs, including commuter benefits and tuition reimbursement
• At least 120 hours paid time off (PTO), 10 paid holidays annually, paid parental leave (3 weeks for bonding and 8 weeks for caregiver leave), accident and life insurance, and short- and long-term disability in accordance with company policy
• Retirement and savings programs, such as our competitive 401(k) U.S. retirement savings plan
• Employees' Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) offers eligible colleagues the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount