Software Engineer, Lab Automation

About the Company

Adaptyv is building an automated lab that lets AI agents run biology experiments. We are building the infrastructure that gives AI agents access to the physical world, helping advance the era of agentic science.

Responsibilities

• Build orchestration software that coordinates liquid handlers, plate readers, incubators, and robot arms
• Reverse-engineer and develop instrument drivers and APIs across various protocols (serial, USB, TCP/IP)
• Model and execute complex multi-step protocols reliably across multiple instruments
• Build error-recovery logic to handle mid-run failures gracefully
• Create monitoring and observability for work-cell health, including instrument status and error rates
• Debug across the software–hardware boundary to identify comms, firmware, or code issues
• Work closely with lab automation engineers, software teams, and scientists

Requirements

• Strong software engineering skills in Python and/or TypeScript
• Comfort working at the hardware-software boundary to drive physical devices
• Ability to read protocol specs and debug flaky connections
• Maker and hacker attitude with an interest in figuring out closed systems
• AI-native builder mindset using coding agents
• Self-starter capable of defining requirements based on lab operations
• Reliability-minded approach to designing 24/7 systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Lab automation experience with PyHamilton, PyLabRobot, or Opentrons
• Background in robotics, industrial automation, IoT, or embedded systems
• Familiarity with electronics, microcontrollers, or 3D printing