Instrumentation/Automation Service Engineer II

Location: US - CA - San Diego

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

Help us change lives

At Exact Sciences, we’re helping change how the world prevents, detects and guides treatment for cancer. We give patients and clinicians the clarity needed to make confident decisions when they matter most. Join our team to find a purpose-driven career, an inclusive culture, and robust benefits to support your life while you’re working to help others.

Position Overview

The Instrumentation/Automation Service Engineer II role is responsible for the installation, calibration, maintenance, and repair of both simple and complex laboratory equipment. The Equipment / Automation Service Engineer II play a crucial role in fostering positive interactions, providing technical support, and ensuring that customer needs are met in a timely and professional manner.

The Engineer II will play a crucial role in fostering positive interactions, provide technical support, and ensure that customer needs are met in a timely and professional manner. The Engineer II will spend significant time (up to 65%) performing routine and complex tasks related to the calibration, maintenance, and repair of laboratory equipment. The individual in this role will act as a point of contact for escalated equipment-related issues by junior and senior members of the service team. The Engineer II partners with the Service Leadership on the team to escalate concerns, present areas of team growth/development and report back on the day-to-day operations of the service team. The Engineer II will provide the team with guidance and direction based off the Service Leaderships team instruction and will work to ensure all policy, procedures, and regulations are followed. In addition, a large part of the workload will entail participating in team meetings, cross-functional projects, and customer-facing discussions on laboratory equipment implementation and operations.

Essential Duties

• Installation & Qualifications: Install and commission advanced laboratory instruments, ensuring qualifications are completed per service policies and procedures.
• Troubleshooting & Repair: Leads structured root cause investigations for standalone equipment failures and implements corrective actions.
• Preventative Maintenance & Calibration: Perform routine preventive maintenance and calibrations in accordance with service policies.
• Documentation & Compliance: Complete accurate service records, ensure documentation meets Good Documentation Practices (GDP), and comply with safety and regulatory requirements (e.g., OSHA, FDA, ISO, CLIA) and support the company’s Quality Management System (QMS).
  • Complete and submit detailed and accurate service records, ensuring they are timely and meet regulatory requirements.
  • Write and review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for equipment service, maintenance, and calibration.
  • Maintain oversight for the quality of both mechanical work and documentation.
• Knowledge & Training: Continuously develop expertise in servicing complex laboratory equipment. Provides hands-on mentorship to Level 1 technicians on troubleshooting and best practices. Understand assembly drawings in support of duties.
• Teamwork & Communication: Collaborate with cross-functional teams and service engineers to ensure effective troubleshooting and maintenance. Supports R&D, Manufacturing, and Lab Operations during lab equipment changes and minor upgrades. Communicate clearly with colleagues, management, and external vendors.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Actively participate in automation and laboratory improvement projects, representing the service organization as a core team member. Provide guidance and coaching to junior staff, fostering growth and performance improvement within the team.
  • Serve as a key resource and provide leadership to service engineers, ensuring proper workflow and quality of work.
  • Mentor and provide technical guidance to metrology associates and service engineers.
  • Assist with on-the-job training for new team members and support ongoing training for existing staff.
  • Provide feedback to the supervisor regarding staffing needs, workload coverage, and impact of time off requests.
  • Ensure effective hand-off communication and work completion between shifts.
• Service Management and Oversight:
  • Coordinate day-to-day department workflow and ensure appropriate coverage for service activities.
  • Track and monitor all service activities using systems developed according to service policies and procedures.
  • Review and ensure service documentation is complete, timely, and accurate following Good Documentation Practices (GDP).
  • Manage schedules and work priorities to ensure that urgent customer requirements are addressed appropriately.
  • Ensure that cross-functional project team support requests are addressed in a timely manner.
  • Represents Service Team during lab expansion projects, new instrument onboarding, and equipment qualification reviews.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: Work independently or as part of a team, including cross-functional, adapting to new information or unexpected situations.
• Quality: Operate under pressure, managing multiple tasks and/or deadlines while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts for complex automation issues, coordinating with vendors or internal teams when necessary.
• Support root cause investigations and assist in developing long-term service solutions for critical problems.
• Plan and perform system upgrades, migrations, and larger service activities with support from project teams.
• Develop service tools, checklists, and preventive maintenance plans to improve system reliability.
• Create, review, and revise service documentation (SOPs, troubleshooting procedures, preventive maintenance plans) to maintain high-quality standards and usability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional groups to identify opportunities for service improvements and help drive small reliability initiatives.
• Support senior leadership by providing technical input on system health and service priorities.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company’s Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Ability to work designated schedule.
• Ability to work nights and/or weekends (, as needed).
• Ability to work overtime, as needed.
• Ability to work on-call, as assigned.
• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 70% of a typical working day.
• Ability to work on a computer and phone simultaneously.
• Ability to use a telephone through a headset.
• Ability to work seated for approximately 25-40% of a typical working day. Ability to work standing for approximately 60-75% of a typical working day.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Ability to comply with any applicable personal protective equipment requirements.
• May be exposed to hazardous materials, tissue specimens, and instruments with moving parts, lasers, heating and freezing elements, and high-speed centrifugation.
• Ability and means to travel 10-20% between local Exact Sciences locations.
• Ability to travel 10-20 % of working time away from work location. May include overnight/weekend travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology, Electronics or other degree relevant to essential duties; or Associate degree in Engineering, Technology, Electronics, or related field and 2 years of relevant experience as outlined in the essential duties; or High School diploma/General Education diploma (GED) and 4 years of relevant experience as outlined in the essential duties in lieu of bachelor’s degree.
• 3+ years of relevant experience.
• 2+ years of experience supporting the administration and execution of a service program.
• Experience mentoring junior staff.
• Experience interpreting mechanical parts and assembly drawings.
• Experience with electrical circuits and diagrams, including the use of electrical measurement tools such as multi-meters and analyzers.
• Ability and desire to operate under pressure, managing multiple tasks and/or deadlines while maintaining quality and attention to detail.
• Exercises independent judgment within generally defined practices and procedures in selecting methods and techniques of obtaining solutions. 
• Demonstrated ability to approach engineering problems methodically.
• Proficient in using computer software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and mobile devices/tablets.
• Proven attention to detail with a track record of documenting service activities accurately and in a timely manner.
• Experience working independently and as part of a team.
• Strong communication skills, with experience in both verbal and written communication.
• Demonstrated mechanical and troubleshooting aptitude, with hands-on experience performing on-site calibrations and preventative maintenance of laboratory equipment.
• Experience working in ambiguous situations, adapting to new information, and responding effectively to unexpected circumstances.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience with Quality Systems, documentation requirements, and regulatory compliance (e.g., OSHA, FDA, CLIA, ISO, CAP).
• 4+ years of experience operating laboratory equipment (e.g., centrifuges, liquid handling robots, shakers) and performing hands-on technical troubleshooting.
• Experience with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Digital Pathology Imaging.
• Experience maintaining Histology and other complex laboratory equipment.
• Experience in loading and/or updating software applications related to laboratory equipment.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude relevant to maintenance and repair of complex laboratory equipment such as liquid handling robots.
• Demonstrated understanding of electrical circuits and diagrams, including the use of common electrical measurement tools such as multi-meters and oscilloscopes.
• Mechanical and troubleshooting aptitude, including experience with mechanical part and assembly drawings.
• Experience working in a Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) environment.
• Experience with database management, preferably in developing continuous database management procedures/process improvements.
• Experience with validation processes and equipment qualification.
• Demonstrated ability to plan workload, allocate tasks, and scale operations to align with business priorities.
• Working knowledge of clinical laboratory service operations and activities.
• Working knowledge of control systems, robotics, and custom automation, with the ability to contribute to the design, integration, and optimization of automated systems.

Salary Range:

$88,000.00 - $132,000.00

Exact Sciences is proud to offer an employee experience that includes paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time), paid leave for parents and caregivers, a retirement savings plan, wellness support, and health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Learn more about our benefits.

Our success relies on the experiences and perspectives of a diverse team, and Exact Sciences fosters a culture where all employees can develop personally and professionally with a sense of respect and belonging. If you require an accommodation, please contact us here.

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