---
title: 'Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/automation-scientist-intern-rac-operations-ginkgo-bioworks-inc-boston-gjmhb4ypwj75'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-12'
---

# Automation Scientist Intern, RAC Operations at Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.

- **Company:** Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.
- **Location:** Boston, MA
- **Posted:** 2026-01-13
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-12
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/ginkgobioworks/jobs/5022683007

## Job description

Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.

The role is based out of Ginkgo’s Boston, MA location and requires regular in-person attendance.

About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.

Responsibilities:

- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows.  In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.

Preferred Qualifications:

- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.

Bonus (not required):

- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video

About the Role: Ginkgo Bioworks is deploying a massive fleet of Reconfigurable Automation Cells (RACs)—modular, mobile robotic units that snap together like LEGOs to form an autonomous lab. We are looking for an Automation Scientist Intern to be the hands-on force behind this fleet. You will learn how to load, operate, take down, and troubleshoot protocol runs on the most advanced lab automation hardware in the world, pushing our "Nebula" frontier lab towards autonomous operation.

Responsibilities:

- Master the RAC Platform: Learn to operate and maintain a system of Reconfigurable Automation Cells, designed to support a variety of molecular and cell biology scientific workflows. You will queue and submit programmatically-generated protocols, remote monitor for errors and conduct remote and on-site error recovery, with the support of our Apex Support team. Over time, you will advance to modifying or writing new protocols for our RAC Automation system.
- Learn Biology: You will prepare and onboard reagents and consumables for upcoming molecular and cell biology scientific workflows, execute and monitor such workflows, and take down and offboard used plates from completed workflows.  In the process, you will learn how to carefully handle and prepare reagents and consumables for workflows, do basic monitoring and error recovery of runs and safely dispose of used plates from completed workflows.

Preferred Qualifications:

- No college degree necessary but some skills in coding, biology or computational biology required.
- "Automation-forward" mindset: you love working with lab automation and making robotic systems run smoother.
- Willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure that existing and new scientific workflows run successfully on our RAC automation system.

Bonus (not required):

- Interest in communications, marketing, social media, and/or short form video

The base salary range for this role is $37,700-$53,500. Actual pay within this range will depend on a candidate's skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.

*It is expected that all Internships are onsite five days a week.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet.

Privacy Notice

I understand that I am applying for employment with Ginkgo Bioworks and am being asked to provide information in connection with my application. I further understand that Ginkgo gathers this information through a third-party service provider and that Ginkgo may also use other service providers to assist in the application process.  Ginkgo may share my information with such third-party service providers in connection with my application and for the start of employment.  Ginkgo will treat my information in accordance with Ginkgo's [Privacy Policy](https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/concentric-privacy-policy/).  By submitting this job application, I am acknowledging that I have reviewed and agree to Ginkgo's [Privacy Policy](https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/concentric-privacy-policy/) as well as the privacy policies of the third-party service providers used by Ginkgo's associated with the application process.

## About Ginkgo Bioworks Inc.

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Ginkgo Bioworks builds and operates autonomous labs that replace manual benchwork with robotics, enabling scientists to program biology for applications across biopharma, agriculture, and industrial biotechnology.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: DNA)
- **Headquarters**: Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founded**: 2009
- **Founders**: Jason Kelly, Reshma Shetty, Barry Canton, Austin Che, Tom Knight

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Biotechnology Research, Synthetic Biology, Autonomous Labs
- Target customers: Biopharma, agriculture, and industrial biotech companies (B2B, Enterprise)
- Mission: "Build the tools that make biology easier to engineer for everyone" — with a vision that "our children will program biology like we once programmed computers."

## Products & Services
- **[Autonomous Lab Platform]**: A robotics-driven laboratory system where scientists can order experimental work to be run by robots, replacing manual benchwork. Available as Ginkgo’s in-house lab or as a "cloud lab" service.
- **[Ginkgo Datapoints]**: A contract research service offering small molecule developability, high-throughput screening, and ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) services.
- **[Ginkgo Solutions]**: Custom contract research and development services for customer-specific biotech projects.
- **[Catalyst Agent]**: A tool that lets scientists "run your experiments on Ginkgo's autonomous lab in Boston, virtually."
- **[Biosecurity Software]**: A software offering focused on biosecurity applications.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Publicly traded (NYSE: DNA); market cap fluctuates — as of mid-2025, the company had a market cap in the range of ~$1-2 billion (check current quote). IPO date: September 17, 2021.
- **Total Funding**: $3.31 billion (cumulative, including IPO and post-IPO equity)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue — Not publicly available in search results; the company reports financials in SEC filings. Headcount: ~454 employees (-36% YoY, reflecting a significant restructuring).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Flagship Pioneering, Takeda, Sanofi, Novartis, Bayer, and others. Key acquisitions include FGen (2022), Circularis Biotechnologies (2022), Altar (2022), Bitome (2022), and AgBiome’s GENESIS Platform (2024).
- **Growth Signals**: Trusted by over 130 customers; operates in 10 countries; strong government partnerships (CEO Jason Kelly previously chaired the U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology); active job postings up 175% YoY (though from a low base).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Autonomous Lab Leadership**: Ginkgo is pioneering the shift from manual benchwork to fully automated, robot-run labs — a significant moat in productivity and scalability.
- **Founding Team**: Founders are pioneers in synthetic biology (e.g., Tom Knight is considered the "father of synthetic biology"; Jason Kelly chaired the U.S. National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology).
- **Platform Approach**: The "cell programming platform" allows biology to be engineered more like software, enabling applications across diverse markets (food, fragrance, pharmaceuticals).
- **Government & Biosecurity Ties**: Deep relationships with U.S. government agencies for biosecurity and national security applications.

## Strategic Focus
- **Autonomous Lab Expansion**: Scaling the autonomous lab platform and making it available as a "cloud lab" to external customers.
- **Commercialization**: Moving from R&D to commercial revenue through Datapoints and Solutions services.
- **Cost Optimization**: The 36% headcount reduction suggests a focus on operational efficiency and path to profitability.
- **Biosecurity**: Leveraging government partnerships for biosecurity software and services.

## Why Work Here
- **Cutting-Edge Mission**: Work at the intersection of biology, robotics, and software — "program biology like we once programmed computers."
- **Engineering Culture**: Heavy emphasis on software engineering for autonomous lab systems (robotics, scheduling, optimization, driver development) — roles for senior software engineers, automation engineers, and hardware engineers.
- **Locations**: Primary hub in Boston, Massachusetts (headquarters); second office in Emeryville, California. Some remote roles (e.g., Director, Government Partnership Development).
- **Culture**: Described as a place where scientists "focus on insight, creativity, and judgment rather than manual lab work." Internships available in software, automation, and commercial operations.
- **Perks**: Not explicitly detailed in search results, but typical for a public biotech: equity, health benefits, and the chance to work on world-changing problems.
- **Important Note**: The company has undergone a 36% headcount reduction in the past year — potential job seekers should be aware of restructuring and recent departures of senior leaders (e.g., Head of Commercial, Director of National Security partnerships).

## Sources
1. [ginkgo.bio](https://www.ginkgo.bio/)
2. [ginkgo.bio/about](https://ginkgo.bio/about)
3. [LinkedIn - Ginkgo Bioworks](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ginkgo-bioworks)
4. [Greenhouse - Ginkgo Bioworks Jobs](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/ginkgobioworks)

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