Staff Systems Engineer

Roche • Tucson, AZ

11d • $110,700 - $205,700 • Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Systems Engineer will primarily drive reliability engineering efforts for next-generation staining systems. This highly skilled technical specialist applies extensive systems engineering design principles, practices, and implementation to complex systems and assignments. The role includes systems engineering V-Model deliverables, participation in design reviews, development and testing to assess performance against design specifications, and assessment of system interactions. It also ensures assays work efficiently and effectively with the latest technologies and systems.

The engineer partners with business stakeholders and systems development teams to translate customer needs into effective design inputs and outputs, and works with cross-functional teams to align work with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements. The position executes project deliverables for requirements, risk, configuration management, defect management, and verification and validation in the company-specific tool. It integrates automated staining systems, scanners, and software updates, and translates product priorities into measurable reliability outcomes.

The role develops reliability strategy and priorities with Hardware, Software, Assay, and Platform teams; makes evidence-based tradeoffs; and supports Agile delivery by defining acceptance criteria, breaking Features into User Stories, participating in Agile events, presenting system demos, and ensuring First-Time Quality. This is an on-site position based in Tucson, Arizona. Relocation benefits are not available. The expected annual salary range is $110,700–$205,700, with actual pay determined by experience, qualifications, location, and other permitted factors. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. The posting states that the position qualifies for benefits detailed at a linked location but does not specify those benefits.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in a directly related discipline and 8 years of related experience, or a master's degree in a directly related discipline and 6 years of related experience, or a Ph.D. in a directly related discipline and 3 years of related experience.
• Experience working in a regulated environment, with familiarity with FDA, ISO, IVD, and other relevant regulatory standards for diagnostic products.
• Expertise in requirements management, system design, user experience development, and usability, with the ability to mentor others in these practices.
• Ability to translate business requirements and customer needs into actionable system design inputs while balancing alternatives and managing expectations.
• Expertise in translating stakeholder needs into structured, traceable, and compliant technical baselines using recognized international frameworks and industry guidelines.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical risk, tradeoffs, and investment needs to engineering, product, and senior business stakeholders.
• Expertise in reliability modeling, quantification, and analysis, connecting architectural design with long-term functional stability across hardware, software, and/or physical systems.
• Experience establishing reliability metrics, governance, and operating reviews across complex product or platform ecosystems.
• Strong systems thinking, creativity, and collaboration with technical teams to deliver optimized designs aligned with business needs and technological constraints.
• Proficiency in prioritizing work based on evidence, applying lean design principles, and engaging team feedback before decision-making.

Nice To Haves

• Understanding of advanced Path Lab staining functionality, slide workflows, and laboratory use cases for hardware and pre-filled consumables.
• Ability to plan, define, and develop characterization protocols and design of experiments (DoEs) to derive meaningful conclusions.
• Experience building authority and accountability within a team, with strong collaboration and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to evaluate, prioritize, and handle multiple priorities efficiently.
• Familiarity with assay development and manufacturing processes.
• Ability to influence others and build consensus on solutions that work for Roche and its customers.
• Ability to challenge existing designs or practices, think creatively, and innovate in problem solving.
• Initiative in tackling and following through on difficult problems.

Responsibilities

• Drive reliability engineering efforts for next-generation staining systems.
• Deliver systems engineering work products associated with the V-Model; participate in design reviews, development, and testing to assess performance against design specifications and system interactions.
• Ensure assays work efficiently and effectively with the latest technologies and systems.
• Partner with business stakeholders and systems development teams to translate customer needs into design inputs and outputs.
• Work with R&D, Marketing, Operations, Quality, and Regulatory teams to align with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Execute project deliverables related to requirements, risk, configuration management, defect management, and verification and validation using the company-specific tool.
• Integrate automated staining systems, scanners, and software updates.
• Translate business and product priorities into measurable reliability outcomes.
• Develop reliability strategy and priorities in partnership with Hardware, Software, Assay, and Platform teams.
• Make evidence-based tradeoffs across reliability, delivery, operational risk, capacity, and business needs.
• Establish measurable criteria for Agile User Stories and Features, formally accept work on behalf of the Program, and ensure it meets the agreed Definition of Done.
• Break Agile Features into smaller, independent User Stories for incremental delivery.
• Participate in iteration planning, daily sync-ups, retrospectives, and Inspect and Adapt events to drive continuous improvement.
• Present system demos and stakeholder presentations, and uphold First-Time Quality in project outcomes.
• Communicate technical risks, tradeoffs, and investment needs to engineering, product, and senior business stakeholders.
• Establish reliability metrics, governance, and operating reviews across complex product or platform ecosystems.

Benefits

• A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance.
• The position qualifies for benefits detailed at a linked location; specific benefits are not listed in the posting.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior