Automation Specialist
Position Description
The ExFAB Automation Specialist is responsible for collaborating with ExFAB facility users (including both internal and external academics, as well as industry and national laboratories) in developing and performing research experiments that leverage ExFAB’s automated systems – from bioprospecting new functions to realizing microbial synthetic biology. In particular, the Automation Specialist will interface with users and lead all aspects of programming, testing, and optimizing ExFAB’s integrated automation platforms, many of which are contained in an anaerobic enclosure. It is expected that substantive scientific scholarly papers and conference presentations regularly result from these collaborations, as well as novel workflows for manipulating microbes and microbial communities. This will further result in published protocols and workflows that can be utilized by the broader microbiology research community. The ExFAB Automation Specialist is expected to represent ExFAB at relevant academic conferences and to identify and seek supplemental extramural funding, as appropriate. This role involves managing platforms and instrumentation for growth, phenotyping, nucleic assay
preparation, and microbial transformation.
A reasonable estimate that the University expects to pay this position at 100% time is $84,000-$150,000.
See the complete job description and apply to Job Number JPF03174 on the UCSB UC Recruit portal. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Next review date: Monday, Nov 9, 2026 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.
Computational and Data Specialist
Position Description
The primary focus of the ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist is to provide data analysis, data infrastructure, development of AI-based model training and AI-readiness of datasets. The position supports the DTBL (Design-Test-Build-Learn) Cycle, including management of the massive datasets generated by the ExFAB user facility, enabling efficient data exploration and interpretation by users and by AI agents, and providing project tracking. Responsibilities include:
Pipeline Development. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist provides support to develop workflows across the biofoundry for data acquisition and analysis for AI-readiness, processing and analysis across data modalities including but not limited to imaging, flow cytometry, metabolomics, and associated metadata. This includes building flexible analysis pipelines, creating machine learning models to maximize the utility of generated data, helping push data exploration and managing data storage systems.
Data Analysis Support. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist works closely with domain scientists across the biofoundry to develop customized analysis approaches tailored to non-standard biology, including customized advanced imaging processing (filtering, thresholding, segmentation. Object detection, and tracking for time-series or live imaging, handling high-dimensional datasets flow cytometry) and integration across modalities. Also supports the develop of quantitative data analysis workflows and statistically robust outputs.
Data Infrastructure and Support. The ExFAB Computation and Data Specialist establish systems for data organization, storage, and linkage across experiments and modalities across the biofoundry. Provides dedicated management for the UCSB ExFAB team’s LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) engagement, including training, troubleshooting, and collaboration with the UCR LIMS team.
A reasonable estimate that the University expects to pay this position at 100% time is $120,000-$145,000.
See the complete job description and apply to Job Number JPF03175 on the UCSB UC Recruit portal. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Apply Now
Next review date: Monday, Nov 16, 2026 at 11:59 pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.