Vice President, Software Engineering
PacBio | Location: 1305 O’Brien Dr, Menlo Park, CA 94025
Company Overview:
PacBio (NASDAQ: PACB) is a premier life science technology company that designs, develops, and manufactures advanced sequencing solutions to help scientists and clinical researchers resolve genetically complex problems. Our mission is to enable the promise of genomics to better human health. Genomics is core to all biological processes, and our advanced genomics tools provide scientists and clinical researchers the insights to better understand biology and health. We are now entering the century of biology, with genomics at the heart of the next revolution.Join PacBio to help shape the future of genomic sequencing and drive innovation in life sciences.
Position Summary:
PacBio is seeking a Vice President, Software Engineering to lead the platform engineering, instrument analysis, data platforms, and instrument control functions. This executive role will oversee the software architecture, strategy, and execution across our sequencing platform, ensuring a seamless and robust ecosystem that enables groundbreaking scientific discoveries. The VP of Software Engineering will lead a high-performing engineering team, fostering innovation while ensuring software reliability, scalability, and security.The ideal candidate is a strategic and technical leader with a strong track record in high-performance computing, or complex instrument control systems.
They should possess a deep understanding of data-driven platforms, cloud computing, embedded systems, and software solutions for scientific instrumentation.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Develop and execute the strategic roadmap for PacBio's software engineering functions, aligning with business and scientific goals.
- Drive innovation in software development, leveraging modern technologies to enhance instrument analysis, data platforms, and control systems.
- Partner with executive leadership to ensure the software strategy supports PacBio’s product vision and long-term business objectives.
Software Engineering & Platform Development
- Lead software engineering efforts across platform engineering, instrument analysis, data platforms, and instrument control to create high-performance, scalable solutions.
- Oversee the design and development of instrument control software that enables precise sequencing workflows.
- Drive the development of data analytics and machine learning pipelines to enhance sequencing accuracy, efficiency, and data interpretation.
- Champion cloud-based and on-premise data platforms, ensuring optimal performance, security, and scalability.
Team Leadership & Organizational Growth
- Build, mentor, and scale a world-class software engineering organization, fostering a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and collaboration.
- Establish best engineering practices, agile development methodologies, and robust DevOps pipelines.
- Encourage a results-driven mindset while fostering continuous learning and development within the team.
Cross-functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
- Work closely with R&D, product management, bioinformatics, hardware, and regulatory teams to ensure seamless software integration.
- Collaborate with scientists, bioinformaticians, and customers to design software solutions that enhance genomic sequencing workflows.
- Partner with IT, security, and compliance teams to ensure regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR) and data security.
Operational Excellence & Execution
- Define and track key software performance metrics, driving continuous improvements in software quality, reliability, and user experience.
- Ensure rigorous software validation and verification processes to meet the highest industry standards.
- Optimize software development lifecycles to improve speed-to-market while maintaining reliability and compliance.
Required Qualifications:
- 15+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 8+ years in a senior leadership role.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Proven expertise in instrumentation software, real-time systems, high-performance computing, or complex data platforms.
- Strong experience in cloud computing, distributed systems, and data processing pipelines.
- Deep knowledge of software architecture, embedded systems, and API development for hardware integration.
- Experience leading teams in regulated environments (e.g., FDA, ISO 13485, CLIA, HIPAA).
- Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across functions.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience in genomics, biotechnology, medical devices, or life sciences software development.
- Familiarity with machine learning, AI-driven analytics, and cloud-native architectures.
- Knowledge of genomic data formats, sequencing pipelines, and bioinformatics applications.
- Strong background in agile methodologies, DevOps, and CI/CD best practices.
Why Join PacBio?
- Work at the forefront of genomics innovation with cutting-edge sequencing technology.
- Lead a world-class software engineering team in a high-impact, fast-growing company.
- Collaborate with top scientists, engineers, and industry leaders.
- Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits package.
PacBio is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce.Non-Field Based Employees are required to be onsite Monday-Thursday (Friday work from home). Depending on the role, some employees may be required to be 100% onsite.You may be required from time to time to visit and work at PacBio locations and for such times as the Company considers necessary for the proper performance of your duties.All listed tasks and responsibilities are deemed as essential functions to this position; however, business conditions may require reasonable accommodations for additional tasks and responsibilities.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.#LI-OnsiteSalary Range:$259,100.00 - $388,700.00To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at PacBio.
Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. PacBio does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, PacBio employees or any other company location. PacBio is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation.If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact us at 650-521-8000, or careers@pacificbiosciences.com for assistance.
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