Software Test Analyst 2

Cellanome•San Diego, CA

About The Position

The Software Test Analyst 2 is a unique position that bridges the gap between biology and software, providing critical insights into the performance and functionality of our instrument. Reporting into the Associate Director of Software QA, this role owns test coverage for assigned areas across the operator UI, instrument control software, and cloud or desktop analysis software. A solid working knowledge of cell biology and instrument operation is required, and is applied directly to test design — informing which conditions to test, which results are meaningful, and which anomalies warrant a defect report.

Requirements

Typically requires at least 2 years of relevant work experience plus a Bachelor's degree in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, a related field; or an advanced degree and no experience.
Solid working knowledge of cell biology, flow cytometry, fluidics, or fluorescence imaging.
Demonstrated ability to write clear, thorough, and maintainable test cases derived from software requirements.
Experience with defect tracking tools.
Solid understanding of SDLC.
Ability to communicate testing status, risks, and issues clearly to both software engineers and scientific stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on laboratory experience operating flow cytometers, automated imaging platforms, or microfluidic instruments.
ISTQB Foundation Level certification.
Exposure to test management tools.
Exposure to image analysis concepts such as segmentation, object detection, or fluorescence quantification.
Familiarity with Python or other programming languages.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain test cases and test plans for assigned instrument software areas — including UI workflows, fluidics control sequences, flow cell operations, imaging acquisition, and data analysis outputs — based on requirements and specifications.
Operate the instrument independently as part of test execution, configuring runs, loading reagents and flow cells, and interpreting instrument behavior to assess whether observed results reflect software issues or expected system responses.
Execute functional, regression, integration, and exploratory test cycles.
Design test scenarios that account for instrument-specific variables such as reagent types, flow cell configurations, cell concentrations, and imaging parameters.
Identify, document, and track defects through to resolution.
Participate in requirement reviews and sprint planning to provide QA perspective and flag testability risks related to fluidics, imaging, or biological variability early in the development cycle.
Collaborate with software engineers to understand new features or hardware changes and their implications for software testing.
Analyze test results to distinguish software defects from instrument variability, reagent issues, or expected biological noise.
Maintain organized, up-to-date test documentation across releases, including instrument configuration details and any environmental conditions relevant to test outcomes.
Ability to comply with personal protective equipment requirements.