Sr. Full-Stack Software Engineer

Position: Sr. Full-Stack Software Engineer Location: San Diego (Hybrid — some remote flexibility) Reports to: Senior Director, Software Engineering & IT Travel: 0–25% Summary of Role We're looking for a senior, full-stack engineer who is primarily Python-first across the stack — backend and frontend — to help build and modernize the service-oriented applications behind our scientific and operational work. You'll partner closely with Commercial, Product Development, and Operations to deliver software that's scalable, maintainable, and genuinely useful to the people who rely on it. This role carries real architectural weight: you'll share technical leadership with our Sr. Director, taking on architecture and system-design decisions in your own right rather than just executing someone else's plan. You'll help lead the transition to FastAPI from Django REST Framework and help move our frontend approach from React toward Python-native, server-driven UIs (e.g., Datastar/HTMX-style patterns). This is a heads-down, high-autonomy IC role with a light meeting load. Problems here are often loosely defined at the outset — you'll need to be comfortable taking ambiguous problems and framing them into clear, actionable, measurable tasks and stories. We also value genuine engagement with agile practices as a tool for improvement — including retrospectives and well-defined tickets — rather than treating them as a formality. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Design, develop, and maintain Python-based microservices using FastAPI, Docker, and modern tooling.Help lead the architecture and migration strategy to FastAPI from Django REST Framework.Build and help define our frontend direction as we shift from React to Python-native, server-rendered UI patterns (Datastar, HTMX, or similar); maintain existing React code during the transition.Apply strong engineering fundamentals across the stack: TDD, version control, CI/CD.Weigh in on architectural and technical trade-offs and help less senior engineers navigate them.Participate in Agile Scrum ceremonies and help shape a culture of continuous improvement.Translate business needs into technical requirements in close collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders.Write clean, well-documented, maintainable code across backend and frontend.Assess the downstream effects of technical changes on systems, processes, and teams, and work to minimize disruption.Stay current with emerging tools and frameworks and bring ideas back to the team. Required Qualifications 5+ years of professional software development experience, with a strong focus on full-stack engineering.Deep proficiency in Python across the stack — comfortable owning both backend services and frontend interfaces.Experience building REST APIs with FastAPI and/or Django REST Framework.Solid experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL), including SQLAlchemy or Django ORM.Comfortable operating with high ambiguity — able to take a loosely defined problem, bring structure to it, and help drive better process and definition over time.Growth mindset toward process as well as technology — sees practices like retrospectives and clear ticket definition as valuable tools for improving outcomes.Experience building applications that integrate LLMs or AI APIs into production systems — prompt/context design, tool use, structured outputs, or agentic workflows.Familiarity with building AI-native features — LLM-backed APIs, RAG pipelines, or agentic tooling.Strong hands-on experience with Docker for containerized development and deployment.Demonstrated ability to make or strongly influence architectural decisions, not just implement them.Familiarity with TDD, build automation, and CI/CD pipelines.Strong problem-solving and communication skills; comfortable working with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.Self-starter with a growth mindset, able to learn and adopt new tools and technologies quickly — including newer, less mainstream frontend paradigms.Experience working in Agile/Scrum teams. Preferred Qualifications Experience with modern server-driven frontend approaches (Datastar, HTMX, or similar) — or genuine enthusiasm for moving in that direction.Experience with React, useful for supporting the transition period.Some experience with Rust — a bonus, not required.Experience in bioinformatics or NGS analysis (Illumina, ONT, PacBio platforms).Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Education Requirements Bachelor's/Master's/Doctorate in Computer Science or related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Travel Required 0–25% Working Conditions Full-time, hybrid position based in San Diego, with some remote flexibility. Benefits / Perks Competitive payAnnual performance bonus eligibilityEmployee stock options / equityMedical, dental & vision insuranceHSA-eligible health plan with employer contributions401(k) retirement planGenerous accrued PTO40 additional wellness hours annually13 paid company holidaysMonthly company-sponsored lunchesCompany happy hours, events & team activities