Director, Engineering

Biohub • Chicago, IL

4d • $230,000 - $287,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Biohub is a 501(c)(3) biomedical research organization building the first large-scale scientific initiative combining frontier AI with frontier biology to solve disease. We build the technology to help scientists around the world use AI-powered biology to study how cells operate, organize, and work as part of systems to understand why disease happens and how to correct it. With our compute capacity, AI research and engineering, and state-of-the-art technology for measuring, imaging, and programming biology, we are enabling scientists worldwide to use AI-powered biology to advance our understanding of human health.
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 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 Director of Engineering 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.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Chemical Engineering, or related field; or equivalent industry experience.
• 10+ years of experience building and operating life science technology platforms in industry (biotech, pharma, or advanced technology companies).
• Demonstrated leadership in functional genomics, multi-omics platforms, or organoid-based systems.
• Deep expertise in laboratory automation, robotics, and systems integration.
• Proven experience deploying scalable, production-grade biological platforms.
• Strong track record of vendor management, outsourced engineering oversight, and technical diligence.
• Experience integrating automation systems with laboratory information systems and data pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to recruit, mentor, and lead high-performing multidisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience scaling CRISPR screening platforms or large-scale screening systems.
• Background in organoid automation or complex tissue models.
• Experience integrating imaging-based phenotypic screening with molecular profiling.
• Experience building platforms designed for ML-ready or model-driven experimental workflows.
• Experience deploying multi-site or distributed automation platforms.
• Familiarity with regulatory, quality, and compliance considerations in industrial biotech environments.
• Direct experience with AI-guided experimental design or model-in-the-loop workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and integration of advanced robotic systems for liquid handling, organoid handling, environmental control, and assay execution.
• Oversee integration of molecular measurement technologies (e.g., 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.
• 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.
• Build and lead an interdisciplinary team of automation engineers, robotics engineers, platform scientists, and systems integration specialists.
• Recruit individuals with deep technical rigor and strong understanding of biological systems.
• Establish engineering best practices in documentation, validation, uptime management, and quality control.
• Foster a culture that blends industrial engineering discipline with scientific innovation.
• Develop and manage a blended team structure that includes internal staff and external partners.

Benefits

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice.
• Funding for select family-forming benefits.
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree