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Automation Engineer

North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC

  1. Salary Not stated by the employer
  2. Employer North Carolina State University at Raleigh
  3. Location Raleigh, NC
  4. Workplace On site
  5. Role Staff
  6. Posted Aug 24, 2026
  7. Reference pa-234104
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Automation Engineer at North Carolina State University at Raleigh, Raleigh, NC
The Automation Engineer will help build the systems that make SPEED’s laboratories smarter, more data-rich, and capable of running complex experiments remotely. You’ll connect robots, scientific instruments, sensors, reactors, and safety systems to SPEED’s orchestration software—turning sophisticated laboratory procedures into reliable, reusable automated workflows.

This is a hands-on engineering role with direct impact on the reliability, throughput, safety, and reproducibility of a national user facility.
What You’ll Do

Build and Integrate Laboratory Automation
  • Design and implement automated workflows for synthesis, materials processing, sample preparation, testing, and characterization.
  • Integrate robots, liquid handlers, pumps, valves, reactors, instruments, sensors, and other laboratory equipment.
  • Translate scientific protocols into robust, executable workflows with defined operating limits and error handling.
  • Develop reusable device drivers and equipment interfaces for SPEED’s automation platform.
  • Commission and validate new robotic systems, workcells, and scientific instruments.
Develop Control Software and Interfaces
  • Develop and maintain Python software for device control, workflow execution, monitoring, and diagnostics.
  • Connect laboratory equipment to SPEED’s scheduling, orchestration, data, and user-access systems.
  • Implement reliable communications using APIs, Python libraries, TCP/IP, OPC UA, REST, serial, digital I/O, and other protocols.
  • Establish consistent device states, commands, metadata, and error handling across varied equipment.
  • Use version control, testing, and code review to deliver dependable automation software.
  • Develop simulation or digital-twin capabilities to test workflows before running them on physical equipment.
Improve Reliability and Performance
  • Monitor automated systems and troubleshoot robotics, motion control, fluid handling, sensors, instruments, software, and network issues.
  • Develop preventive maintenance, calibration, readiness checks, and recovery procedures.
  • Analyze failures and implement improvements that increase uptime, repeatability, and ease of recovery.
  • Work with manufacturers and vendors to resolve technical issues and support critical systems.
  • Maintain clear documentation of configurations, dependencies, maintenance, and known failure modes.
Build Safe, Usable Systems
  • Design automation with appropriate interlocks, alarms, safe states, emergency stops, and shutdown logic.
  • Conduct hazard and failure-mode reviews for robotic, fluidic, thermal, pressure, gas-handling, and unattended operations.
  • Create system documentation, operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, and maintenance instructions.
  • Train researchers, operators, students, and technical staff to use automated platforms safely and effectively.
  • Help establish engineering standards and platform designs that enable automation to scale across SPEED and partner facilities.

You’ll work at the intersection of automation, robotics, software, and scientific research, solving challenging engineering problems that enable experiments to run faster, more reliably, and at greater scale. Your work will help transform advanced laboratory capabilities into dependable platforms that scientists can use to accelerate discovery.
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