--- title: 'Automation Engineer I/II (Contract) at DELFI Diagnostics, Inc.' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/automation-engineer-i-ii-contract-delfi-diagnostics-inc-palo-alto-zfxef259gcph' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-12' --- # Automation Engineer I/II (Contract) at DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. - **Company:** DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. - **Location:** Palo Alto, CA - **Compensation:** $53–$73/hr - **Employment:** contract - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-06-30 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/delfidiagnostics/ba759fc2-7ee3-4538-8af6-13e26de3c458 ## Job description DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. (DELFI Diagnostics) is developing next-generation, blood-based tests that are reliable, accessible and deliver a new way to help detect cancer. Employing advanced machine-learning methods to whole-genome sequencing data, the DELFI ("DNA EvaLuation of Fragments for early Interception") platform is built to address the highest-burden health challenges. DELFI Diagnostics prioritizes solutions that have the potential to save lives on a global scale, including for historically underserved populations. DELFI Diagnostics’ platform relies on fragmentomics – the discovery that cancer cells are more chaotic than normal cells and, when they die, leave behind tell-tale patterns and characteristics of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments. FirstLook Lung, for individuals eligible for lung cancer screening, is DELFI Diagnostics’ first laboratory-developed screening test and can be part of routine blood work. FirstLook Lung uses millions of data points to reliably identify individuals who may have cancer detected through low-dose CT, including early stage disease with a negative predictive value of 99.8 percent. This test has not been cleared or approved by the FDA. In our passionate pursuit to radically improve health outcomes, we serve humanity when we: - Lead with Science, Anchor in Pragmatism: We pioneer life-changing science by ensuring quality, transparency, and rigor at all times. We explore thoughtfully, experiment smartly, and deliver impact with conviction. - Build With & For All: We embrace diverse backgrounds to innovate and achieve together. We are not just building a product - we aim to disrupt the path of cancer for all - no matter geography or socioeconomic class - Put We over I: We are a home for high-performing people. Through teamwork, we build collective intelligence. Each of us wins when those we serve and those who serve with us--win. We show up with empathy, humility, and integrity at every step of the journey. ## About the role In this role, you will be responsible for supporting high complexity process automation engineering for cancer detection via next generation sequencing. You will be troubleshooting, testing, and verifying automated scripts on liquid handlers. You will work cross-functionally with clinical laboratory scientists, tech transfer scientists, data scientists, software engineers, systems engineers, and quality. This is a critical role that will help bring Delfi’s instrumentation through the development, verification, and validation process and launch them into clinical use. ## What you'll do - Support, maintain, test, and troubleshoot liquid handling platforms (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman, or equivalent) used in clinical multi-omics workflows - Perform routine and corrective maintenance on laboratory instruments including liquid handlers, centrifuges, plate sealer, plate peelers, proteomics platforms, thermal cyclers, cold storage units, and related equipment - Monitor and maintain ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers, refrigerators, to ensure sample integrity and compliance - Coordinate instrument qualification activities (IQ/OQ/PQ) and assist with vendor service scheduling - Rapidly diagnose and resolve instrument failures to minimize impact on clinical workflow timelines - Create, execute, and maintain SOPs, maintenance logs, and equipment records in accordance with CAP, CLIA, and NYS DOH laboratory regulations - Accurately document all troubleshooting activities, corrective actions, and preventive maintenance in the laboratory's quality management system (QMS) - Support gap assessments and readiness activities as the laboratory progresses toward FDA regulation (21 CFR Part 820 / QSR) - Participate in inspections and internal audits; respond to equipment-related observations and corrective action requests - Maintain equipment inventory, calibration schedules, and service records in compliance with regulatory requirements - Collaborate cross-functionally with scientists and lab operations to identify opportunities for process improvement and automation - Support onboarding and training of laboratory staff on instrument operation and maintenance best practices - Assist with reagent and consumable management for instrumentation as needed - Contribute to other laboratory needs as assigned, including assay support, facility tasks, and special projects - Document troubleshooting efforts with root cause analysis and corrective actions under design control and quality management systems, policies and procedures. - Perform basic lab work in support of R&D activities - Own the Equipment Ticketing System, pushing instrument tickets as they progress through support and communicating to ticket owners resolutions and updates. - Update instrument status and maintenance completion in LIMS Sapio. ## What you'll bring Required - B.S. or higher in engineering, biology, or similar field providing a strong foundation in lab automation, systems development, and science - High level of analytical ability to solve complex technical problems - Skilled in technical and non-technical communication - Able to master new concepts and skills quickly, with strong attention to detail - Comfortable working in both individual and cross-functional team settings Level I - Knowledge of liquid processing equipment and procedures in high-throughput settings - Knowledge in the development of assay automation on liquid handlers (i.e. Hamilton, Agilent, Beckman, Tecan) Level II - 3+ years of experience in the development of assay automation on liquid handlers - Proven track record in automating next generation sequencing techniques and procedures in high-throughput settings - Skilled with standard molecular biology and wet lab techniques such as nucleic acid isolation, purification, and quantification - Experience in automation-LIMS integration, designing and executing instrument testing/validation plan ## Preferred - Knowledge in automating next generation sequencing techniques - Experience with Computer Programming and programming concepts - Experience working in a regulated environment (e.g., CLIA, CAP, NYS, FDA, GXP, etc.) - Experience in reagent manufacturing, ideally in a regulated environment (cGMP) - Experience programming automated liquid handlers for NGS assay, Hamilton An equal opportunity employer We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. ## About DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: DELFI Diagnostics is a precision oncology company that uses AI and whole-genome sequencing to analyze DNA fragmentation patterns in blood for early cancer detection. - **Entity Type**: Private (Late-Stage) - **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, USA - **Founded**: 2019 - **Founders**: Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD (and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University) ## Core Business - Primary industry: Precision Oncology / Liquid Biopsy / Healthcare Diagnostics - Target customers: B2B (Health systems, primary care providers, pulmonologists, lung screening programs) and B2B for research (Pharmaceutical companies) - Mission: "Make cancer less deadly through widely accessible early detection" ## Products & Services - **[FirstLook™ Lung](https://delfidiagnostics.com/)**: A blood-based, AI-powered laboratory-developed test (LDT) for lung cancer screening. Designed for adults eligible under USPSTF guidelines, it uses whole-genome sequencing and machine learning to analyze cell-free DNA fragmentation patterns. It boasts a 99.8% Negative Predictive Value and is intended to be a noninvasive first step before low-dose CT (LDCT) scans. Became commercially available in October 2023. - **[DELFI-TF Treatment Monitoring](https://delfidiagnostics.com/)**: A research service for pharmaceutical companies conducting Phase 1-2 clinical trials. It provides non-invasive, real-time treatment response assessment using cell-free DNA fragmentomes, offering short turnaround times and a low-cost solution. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total Funding of **over $325 million** - **Notable Investors/Partners**: DFJ Growth, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund (equity investment announced June 2024), OrbiMed, Point72, T. Rowe Price. - **Growth Signals**: - The FirstLook Lung test is commercially available, marking a major milestone from R&D to clinical deployment. - Completed three major clinical trials (L101 validation study, CASCADE-LUNG/L201 prospective cohort study, L301/FIRSTLUNG randomized controlled trial). - Has a strong intellectual property foundation, with its core technology first published in *Nature* in 2019. - Strategic equity investment from Merck (2024) signals pharma validation and potential for partnership. ## Competitive Advantages - **Proprietary Fragmentomics Platform**: Their AI-driven computational platform analyzes genome-wide patterns of cell-free DNA fragmentation, capturing signals that conventional mutation-based liquid biopsies often miss. This provides a broader, more sensitive view of cancer biology. - **Strong Clinical Validation**: The technology is backed by peer-reviewed publications in top journals (*Nature*, *Cancer Discovery*) and multiple registered clinical trials (NCT04825834, NCT05306288, NCT06145750). - **High Clinical Utility**: The test's 99.8% Negative Predictive Value provides high confidence to rule out lung cancer, which is a powerful tool for clinicians managing screening decisions. - **Focus on Accessibility**: Designed for large-scale health system deployment with EHR integration, provider support, and a low-cost structure to make screening widely available. ## Strategic Focus - **Market Expansion**: Driving commercial adoption of FirstLook Lung within health systems, primary care, and lung screening programs across the US. - **Clinical Evidence Generation**: Continuing to generate robust clinical data through trials like CASCADE-LUNG to further validate the technology's performance and clinical utility. - **Pharma Partnerships**: Expanding the DELFI-TF treatment monitoring service to partner with more pharmaceutical companies for drug development. - **Product Pipeline**: Likely developing additional screening tests for other cancer types using the same fragmentomics platform. ## Why Work Here - **High-Impact Mission**: The company is singularly focused on "making cancer less deadly," offering employees a direct role in a potentially transformative technology. - **Culture & Values**: DELFI emphasizes three core values guiding all interactions and decisions. They actively seek to build a diverse, inclusive, and healthy workplace so employees can do their best work. - **Hybrid/Remote Flexibility**: DELFI supports hybrid and remote work options for most positions, with labs and offices in Palo Alto, CA, and Baltimore, MD. Employees receive a one-time $400 home office subsidy. - **Comprehensive Compensation**: Offers a competitive base salary, target bonus plan, and an equity program so everyone has a stake and feels ownership. - **Generous Benefits**: - Non-accrual time off (flexible PTO) and a 5-day winter break. - DELFI pays 100% of the medical premium for employee and family. - 16 weeks of paid parental leave. - 401(k) and annual merit cycle. - **Learning & Growth**: Wide-ranging learning and development programs to help employees continue to develop their skills. - **Team & Leadership**: A dynamic, passionate group of executive leaders, clinical and data scientists, engineers, and commercial team members, led by experienced experts from relevant fields. ## Sources 1. [delfidiagnostics.com](https://delfidiagnostics.com/) 2. [delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/](https://delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/) 3. [delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/careers/](https://delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/careers/) 4. [jobs.lever.co/delfidiagnostics](https://jobs.lever.co/delfidiagnostics) 5. [delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/leadership-team/](https://delfidiagnostics.com/about-us/leadership-team/) ## Other roles at DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. - [Manager Equipment Service Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-equipment-service-engineering-delfi-diagnostics-inc-palo-alto-ev10x2yvgs6c) — Palo Alto, CA - [Accounting Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/accounting-operations-manager-delfi-diagnostics-inc-palo-alto-2q3fjaratz5w) — Palo Alto, CA - [Sr. Data Scientist, Assay Development](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-data-scientist-assay-development-delfi-diagnostics-inc-palo-alto-e021867zf5tq) — Palo Alto, CA - [Director / Senior Director, Market Access & Reimbursement](https://feeny.ai/job/director-senior-director-market-access-reimbursement-delfi-diagnostics-inc-n4z44ygzc0e5) - [Senior Clinical Laboratory Associate / Equipment Engineer (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-clinical-laboratory-associate-equipment-engineer-contract-delfi-59t1g1rbhy4a) — Palo Alto, CA - [IVD Documentation Scientist, Manufacturing and Medical Device (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/ivd-documentation-scientist-manufacturing-and-medical-device-contract-delfi-zzcfhgh4mdm8) — Palo Alto, CA - [Senior Director, Clinical Development](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-clinical-development-delfi-diagnostics-inc-palo-alto-06vxbzpnzjqq) — Palo Alto, CA - [Senior Staff, Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-software-engineer-delfi-diagnostics-inc-remote-bjpcbxmnjyd2)