Principal Data Engineer

Vesalius Therapeutics•Cambridge, MA

12d•$179,000 - $236,000

About The Position

Vesalius Therapeutics is seeking a Principal Data Engineer to build and operate the data infrastructure behind its human cellular biology platform. The role focuses on making Benchling a data platform, establishing end-to-end sample tracking, delivering analysis-ready data, and building integrations and applications that connect laboratory systems and downstream data pipelines. The engineer will partner with scientific, automation, IT, and data teams, independently own systems used by others, and anticipate infrastructure needs as the platform evolves.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, engineering, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, computational biology, or a related field; alternatively, a life science degree with a demonstrated programming record.
At least 4 years building software, tooling, or data infrastructure in a laboratory or R&D setting, including accountability for a system others depended on daily.
Strong Python and SQL skills, including joins, aggregates, CTEs, and window functions.
Hands-on experience with a LIMS or ELN and its API.
Experience shipping and operating a web application, including a REST API or user-facing front end, authentication, deployment, and maintenance.
Understanding of laboratory data flows, from sample registration and experiment creation through instrument-output capture and result association.
Ability to own a domain independently while working alongside scientific and hardware support.
Strong communication and documentation skills, and ability to work effectively across scientific, automation, IT, and data teams.

Nice To Haves

Benchling experience with entity schemas, the warehouse, Insights, the developer platform, webhooks, or apps; Benchling is strongly preferred.
Experience parsing instrument output from plate readers, imagers, or sequencers into structured results tied to samples.
Cloud infrastructure experience, such as AWS, event-driven integrations, or data pipelines for automated laboratory environments.
Experience working alongside automated liquid handlers, integrated workcells, or laboratory scheduling software, as an integrator rather than a programmer; examples include Hamilton, Tecan, HighRes Biosolutions, Dynamic Devices, and Beckman.
Mammalian cell culture experience, especially iPSC systems, and aseptic technique.
Prior experience in an automation-heavy laboratory environment.
Ability to troubleshoot across software, hardware, instrument communication, data, and sample-tracking workflows.
Mentoring experience or experience growing a small team.
Experience in a regulated or GxP-adjacent environment, or writing validation and verification documentation.

Responsibilities

Implement Benchling as a data platform, including entity schemas, the Postgres warehouse, Insights, the API, and supporting integrations.
Establish end-to-end sample tracking and chain of custody from donor material through line, vial, thaw, run, and instrument output, linking results back to their originating samples.
Deliver analysis-ready data through structured metadata capture, stable identifiers, documented schemas, and reliable handoffs.
Identify gaps in commercial software and design, ship, and operate REST APIs and internal web applications.
Build integrations among automation platforms, instruments, LIMS/ELN systems, imaging systems, databases, and downstream data pipelines.
Build tools scientists can use independently, such as search interfaces, pull lists, and capacity dashboards.
Investigate and resolve discrepancies, and build checks to detect problems earlier.
Apply software engineering practices including version control, testing, debugging, modular design, and maintainable documentation.
Partner across scientific, automation, IT, and data teams to connect experimental work with the systems that record it.
Anticipate future data and integration needs and adapt as the platform evolves.