Staff Engineer, Process Development & Automation
Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a lab automation system you implemented. How did you get staff to adopt it?
What they are checking: Whether they can drive real adoption, which the posting names as the primary focus.
How do you learn a clinical workflow well enough to improve it?
What they are checking: Whether they spend time with lab staff to understand the work before proposing changes.
Tell me about a time lab staff pushed back on a change you proposed.
What they are checking: Whether they listen to concerns and adjust, which is how engineers bridge to lab operations.
How do you mentor engineers or lab staff during a technology rollout?
What they are checking: Whether they build lasting skills in the team, expected at the staff engineer level.
What would you do
How would you approach bringing digital pathology into a histopathology lab that has run on glass slides for years?
What they are checking: Whether they think about workflow, people and validation, not just the scanner hardware.
How would you coordinate with IT, facilities, quality and vendors on a new lab buildout like the Madison Cancer Diagnostics laboratory?
What they are checking: Whether they can manage many partners and dependencies in a complex launch.
A vendor's system does not integrate well with the lab's existing software. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they solve integration problems practically and hold vendors accountable.
About the work
What does validation look like when you add a new instrument or system to a CLIA clinical lab?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the validation and documentation needed before patient testing can start.
How do you measure whether an automation project actually improved the lab?
What they are checking: Whether they define clear metrics like turnaround, error rates or hands-on time before starting.
How do you decide which manual process to automate first?
What they are checking: Whether they prioritize by volume, error risk and payoff rather than technical interest.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Abbott.