Senior Bioinformatics & Genomics Data System Engineer

Natera•San Carlos, CA

1d•$125,800 - $157,200

About The Position

As a member of Natera’s Data Science Production Engineering (DSPE) department and DevOps team, the Senior Bioinformatics & Genomics Data System Engineer designs, develops, tests, deploys, maintains, and updates the team’s software tools, data platforms, cloud platforms, automation systems, and analytics systems. The role contributes to the timely delivery of robust, production-ready systems and works with DSPE leadership to develop architecture and infrastructure designs that can be implemented and maintained efficiently. The engineer monitors and optimizes system performance, contributing to technical documentation and training materials for team-owned tools and systems. The role also coaches DSPE team members on technologies and best practices and represents the Software Engineering & DevOps team in stakeholder meetings. The position calls for experience in regulated environments, production software development, bioinformatics and genomics, AWS, databases, Linux, and software development practices. Natera describes itself as a global leader in cell-free DNA testing focused on oncology, women’s health, and organ health. The position offers a base salary range of $125,800–$157,200, with eligibility for additional compensation and benefits through the company’s Total Rewards program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Bioinformatics, or a related field; advanced degrees are preferred.
Relevant industry experience: at least 6 years with a bachelor’s degree, 3 years with a master’s degree, or 2 years with a doctorate.
At least 3 years of experience working in a highly regulated environment, such as CLIA- and/or FDA-compliant settings.
At least 3 years of experience working on a Software Engineering or DevOps team.
Demonstrable experience developing and maintaining custom software tools or systems for production environments; high-throughput settings are preferred.
Demonstrable experience creating software design specification documents, verification and validation documents, and user manuals.
Excellent understanding of bioinformatics and genomics concepts and NGS technologies.
Excellent Python programming skills, with demonstrable bioinformatics or genomics application and/or automation-system development experience.
Excellent understanding of AWS services relevant to bioinformatics and genomics applications.
Working experience with AWS services such as Batch, ECS, S3, EC2, and HealthOmics; production software tools or systems experience is preferred.
Proficiency with relational database management systems such as PostgreSQL and/or MySQL, and demonstrable experience developing production database-based applications.
Experience working with bioinformatics and genomics file types such as BCL, FASTQ, BAM, and VCF.
Working knowledge of optimizing system architecture and components for performance, scalability, and/or reliability, especially for genomics-scale data.
Working knowledge of system and tool performance evaluation methods and factors affecting performance, including RAM, disk I/O, and network I/O, particularly for bioinformatics and genomics applications.
Working knowledge of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and software development and testing methodologies.
Working knowledge of Linux command-line tools and past Linux application development experience.
Proficiency with Git workflows and version control systems such as GitHub and/or GitLab.
Past experience developing automation solutions.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Bioinformatics, or a related field.
Experience developing production software tools or systems in high-throughput settings, such as environments with heavy traffic or high computational loads.
Production software tools or systems experience with AWS Batch, ECS, S3, EC2, and/or HealthOmics.

Responsibilities

Ensure timely and efficient delivery of software tools and systems with correct, robust functionality.
Contribute to the design, development, testing, deployment, validation, maintenance, and updating of DSPE software tools and data, cloud, and automation systems.
Work with DSPE leadership to create system architecture and infrastructure design documents that can be efficiently implemented and maintained.
Monitor system metrics—including network I/O, disk I/O, RAM, CPU, and disk-space usage—and study the effects of different solutions to maintain and optimize performance.
Create, maintain, and update technical documentation for software tools and systems owned by the DSPE Software Engineering & DevOps team.
Create training materials and contribute to training activities for team-owned software tools and systems.
Train and coach DSPE team members on new technologies, procedures, guidelines, and best practices.
Represent the DSPE Software Engineering & DevOps team in stakeholder meetings.