Senior Laboratory Automation Sales Specialist – Greater Los Angeles & Southern California
Representing a world-class innovator in automated liquid handling, integrated robotics, and workflow orchestration solutions, our recruitment firm has been exclusively retained to appoint an accomplished Laboratory Automation Sales Specialist based in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. This field-based commercial role focuses on delivering sophisticated capital equipment, custom robotic workcells, and modular benchtop instruments to top-tier biopharmaceutical developers, emerging synthetic biology enterprises, contract research organizations, and world-renowned academic medical centers across Southern California.
Territory Dynamics & Southern California Market Scope
The Southern California life sciences corridor represents one of the most dynamic biotechnology landscapes globally. The designated territory spans the immediate Los Angeles basin—including research strongholds in Thousand Oaks, Pasadena, Culver City, Torrance, and Santa Monica—extending through Orange County and collaborating closely with regional accounts in adjacent regional bioclusters. The client landscape features a balanced mix of Fortune 500 biopharma institutions, high-growth venture-backed therapy platforms, diagnostic reference laboratories, and prominent research universities such as UCLA, USC, and Caltech.
Role Architecture & Core Mandate
As a technical subject-matter authority and consultative capital sales professional, you will direct the end-to-end commercial lifecycle for advanced laboratory automation portfolios. The position demands an assertive hunter mentality coupled with the technical depth required to decipher complex biological assays and translate research protocols into high-throughput automated architectures. You will partner with principal investigators, screening directors, laboratory operations leads, and executive procurement committees to define specifications, justify return on investment, and deliver fully integrated screening, biobanking, and genomics workflows.
Technical Workflow Specializations & Application Scope
The successful candidate will navigate complex discussions spanning multi-step scientific protocols, hardware configurations, and software architectures. Mastery across the following domains is critical:
High-Throughput Screening & Biobanking Workflows
Guiding the automation of microplate-based assays including homogeneous and heterogeneous screening, cell-based assays, automated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, high-content imaging preparation, and automated compound management. This encompasses integrating microplate readers, automated incubators, plate washers, and barcode verification modules into continuous walk-away systems.
Next-Generation Sequencing & Genomics Prep Platforms
Delivering walk-away automation for molecular workflows such as targeted library preparation, whole-genome sequencing setup, RNA/DNA magnetic bead-based extraction, polymerase chain reaction setup, and quantitative normalization across 96-, 384-, and 1536-well footprints.
Liquid Handling Subsystems & Robotic Integration
Positioning multi-channel pipetting heads, 8-channel independent variable-span configurations, positive displacement dispensers, pin tools, and acoustic liquid dispensing hardware. Configuring physical integration points for microplate carousels, robotic plate movers, optical sensors, and bulk reagent supply modules.
Scheduling Software & Microplate Transport Protocols
Articulating the computational value of event-driven dynamic scheduling engines, Application Programming Interface integrations, Laboratory Information Management System connectivity, and robotic transport tracks designed to optimize instrument utilization and eliminate assay throughput bottlenecks.
Strategic Responsibilities & Commercial Execution
- Territory Revenue Generation: Achieve and exceed annual capital equipment quotas ranging between two and four million dollars across hardware, software maintenance, consumables, and professional integration services.
- Consultative Discovery & Assay Mapping: Conduct structured on-site discovery sessions with bench scientists, automation engineers, and departmental heads to evaluate existing manual bottlenecks and design tailored automated workcells.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Field Application Scientists, Systems Integration Engineers, Project Managers, and Field Service Engineers to orchestrate technical product demonstrations, write detailed User Requirement Specifications, and manage Factory/Site Acceptance Testing phases.
- Enterprise Pipeline Management: Manage complex, multi-stakeholder capital sales cycles lasting between 4 and 18 months, maintaining meticulous pipeline hygiene, opportunity stage governance, and accurate revenue forecasting within Salesforce.
- Strategic Tendering & Vendor Management: Author robust, competitive responses to Requests for Information and Requests for Proposals issued by commercial pharma enterprises, government research facilities, and university procurement teams.
- Market Visibility: Champion organizational presence at regional and national industry symposia, including SLAS, LRIG Southern California chapters, and regional bio-networking conferences.
Candidate Profile: Experience, Credentials, and Technical Acumen
Mandatory Requirements
- Educational Foundation: Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or an aligned Life Sciences discipline.
- Proven Sales Track Record: Minimum of three to five years of documented direct quota-carrying field sales experience within the life sciences tool industry, with explicit exposure to capital equipment transactions exceeding one hundred thousand dollars per unit.
- Domain Competence: In-depth practical comprehension of automated liquid handling platforms, microplate handling, automated pipetting mechanisms, and robotic integration principles.
- Geographic Proximity: Residence within the Greater Los Angeles region with the capacity for 40% to 60% regional travel across Southern California for customer visits, technical site audits, and system handoffs.
Preferred Technical Capabilities & Market Differentiators
- Prior hands-on laboratory experience running or programming commercial automation systems (e.g., platforms from Tecan, Hamilton, Beckman Coulter, Agilent Bravo, Revvity, or HighRes Biosolutions).
- Familiarity with lab automation scheduling software packages such as Green Button Go, Cellario, Overlord, or proprietary OEM system software.
- Established commercial relationships with decision-makers throughout Southern California biopharma clusters, synthetic biology labs, and academic core facilities.
- Master of Science degree or Professional Certification in Automation Engineering.
Performance Metrics & Evaluation Framework
Commercial performance will be evaluated against balanced quantitative and qualitative benchmarks:
- Annual and quarterly net-new capital bookings against designated quota targets.
- Opportunity pipeline generation velocity and year-over-year expansion in key strategic accounts.
- Conversion efficiency from initial workflow scoping and proof-of-concept demonstrations to executed purchase agreements.
- Accuracy of monthly rolling capital shipment forecasts and margin preservation on custom integrated configurations.
Total Rewards, Commission Structure & Benefits
Our client provides an elite compensation package engineered to attract and incentivize premier commercial talent:
- Base Salary: Highly competitive base salary calibrated between one hundred thirty thousand and one hundred sixty thousand dollars, commensurate with relevant capital equipment sales experience.
- Incentive Plan: Uncapped annual variable incentive plan with quarterly distributions, bringing on-target earnings to a range of two hundred twenty thousand to two hundred seventy thousand dollars, with accelerators for performance beyond target.
- Vehicle & Travel Program: Comprehensive executive vehicle allowance or corporate fleet program covering all business-related travel, mileage, and maintenance.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance with extensive dependent coverage options.
- Retirement & Equity: 401(k) retirement savings plan featuring generous employer matching contributions, alongside eligible equity grants and employee stock purchase programs.
- Executive Enablement: Complete home-office technology provisioning including high-performance computing hardware, mobile allowances, and administrative travel support.
Engagement & Selection Process
To initiate a confidential discussion regarding this Southern California opportunity, submit an updated technical curriculum vitae outlining your commercial achievements, capital equipment quota history, and operational familiarity with laboratory automation systems. Qualified candidates will undergo a structured multi-stage interview series, beginning with a preliminary technical screening with our life sciences executive search team, followed by formal presentations with the client commercial leadership team and field engineering directors.