Automation Engineer / Automation Specialist – Interim / Project Contract (m/f/d)

Company Description

In just 30 years, Eurofins has grown from a single laboratory in Nantes, France, to a network of more than 65,000 employees across over 1,000 independent companies in more than 59 countries, operating more than 950 laboratories. Eurofins offers a portfolio of more than 200,000 analytical methods to assess the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability, and purity of biological substances and products. In addition, it provides innovative clinical diagnostic services as one of the world's leading emerging providers of specialized clinical diagnostic testing. In 2025, Eurofins generated total revenues of €7.296 billion.

For our site in Jena, Germany, we are looking for short-term support as an Automation Engineer / Automation Specialist (m/f/d) to support the ramp-up of automated production and laboratory line modules.

In this temporary role, you will work close to the equipment, support commissioning, stabilize operations and help solve technical issues in a practical and structured way. The focus is clearly on hands-on execution, troubleshooting and close collaboration with local teams and external suppliers.

This role is a good fit for a mid-level technical profile with a strong hands-on mindset, solid technical understanding and the ability to stay pragmatic in a ramp-up environment where processes are still being stabilized.

Job Description

Your responsibilities

• You support the commissioning, ramp-up and stabilization of automated line and equipment modules.
• You analyze and resolve technical issues during start-up and early operation.
• You perform hands-on troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical and automation-related topics.
• You support testing, adjustments and optimization of automated production and laboratory processes.
• You work closely with internal laboratory, production, engineering and maintenance teams.
• You coordinate technical topics with external suppliers and support follow-up on open issues.
• You help improve availability, process stability, quality and throughput of the automated modules.
• You document relevant technical findings, actions and open points in a clear and pragmatic way.

Qualifications

What you bring

• Experience in automation, mechatronics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, production engineering or a comparable technical field.
• Practical experience with automated equipment, production lines, laboratory automation or similar technical systems.
• Good understanding of mechanical, electrical and automation-related interactions.
• A strong hands-on mindset: you do not only analyze issues, you actively help solve them.
• Structured and solution-oriented way of working, especially in ramp-up environments where not everything is fully stabilized yet.
• Good communication skills when working with internal teams and external partners.
• Good English skills for technical communication in an international environment; German skills are an advantage. 
• Short-term availability for an on-site assignment in Jena.

Additional Information

What we offer

• A temporary project role with direct impact on the successful ramp-up of automated line modules.
• A practical project environment with short communication paths and a clear operational focus.
• Collaboration with experienced teams from laboratory, production, engineering and external partners.
• Competitive compensation within an interim / project contract setup.
• Approx. 6-month assignment with ASAP start.

Does this sound like the right project for you?
We look forward to hearing from you and working together to successfully ramp up our automated line modules in Jena.