Staff Software Engineer

About Karius

Karius is a venture-backed life science startup that is transforming the way pathogens and other microbes are observed throughout the body. By unlocking the information present in microbial cell-free DNA, we're helping doctors quickly solve their most challenging cases, providing industry partners with access to the microbial landscape to accelerate biomarker discovery and clinical trials, discover novel microbes, to ultimately reduce patient suffering worldwide.

Position Summary

As a Staff Software Engineer in the Karius Engineering team, your primary focus will be architecting, developing, and maintaining the software services and required infrastructure to enable the operation of Karius products in commercial and research setups. 

We are building and operating a unique software stack of cloud infrastructure, software services, APIs, web and mobile interactive interfaces, and AI-driven data analytics pipelines to deliver life-saving results in the highly complex infectious disease landscape. We believe the success of Karius’ products is driven by both our unique technology and the elegance of the software solution. We seek talented and passionate individuals who want to be part of this impactful journey of reaching the team’s ambitious goals, far beyond what any single individual could accomplish.

Why Should You Join Karius?

Karius aims to conquer infectious diseases through innovations around genomic sequencing and machine learning. The company’s platform is already delivering unprecedented insights into the microbial landscape, providing clinicians with a comprehensive test capable of identifying more than a thousand pathogens directly from blood, and helping industry accelerate the development of therapeutic solutions. The Karius test we provide today is one of the most advanced solutions available to physicians who aim to deliver better care to many otherwise ineffectively treated patients. Our test is the result of some incredible work done by our scientists, statisticians, engineers, and physicians, all driven by the same mission. You, as part of the Karius team, will be able to see how directly your work has a life-changing impact on people, and at scale.

Reports to: Sr. Director of Software Engineering

*This position is not open to agency support at this time. Agencies, please contact [email protected] and not the hiring manager for inquiries.

Location: Redwood City, CA (Hybrid) or Remote (USA)

Primary Responsibilities 

• Design software services that drive the Karius genomics lab workflows and related business processes to generate life-saving diagnostic reports

• Follow Domain Driven Design to clearly document the system architecture, service design, and the interfaces 

• Ensure the software services meet expected quality gates by developing unit and functional tests 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams such as Lab Operations, Customer Success, Finance, Product Management, and Quality Engineering, and follow the defined Engineering SDLC to deliver value to the customers and users

• Contribute to the engineering organization’s technical efforts such as design and code reviews, technology evaluations, and development of proof of concepts 

• Provide production operation support for diagnostics software services 

• Contribute to advancing a culture of a high-performing team by having close collaboration and engagement with the rest of the engineering team in solving challenges as they arise

• Research and introduce new technologies that will add value to Karius products

What’s Fun About the Job?

Karius is operating at the edge of what is now known to be possible in infectious disease diagnostics. With that, comes a wave of new and incredible challenges and opportunities. To deliver on that value, you will be tapping into some of the most advanced technologies, architecting and innovating where the current solutions simply don't suffice. You will get to see how much your work really matters.

Travel: Travel is required up to 10% of the time if the candidate is remote, up to four times a year. Onsite presence of about 2 weeks during onboarding is highly recommended.

Physical Requirements 

Subject to extended periods of sitting and/or standing, vision to monitor and moderate noise levels. Work is generally performed in an office environment. 

Position Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering.

• 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and maintaining backend solutions in a production environment.

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with various system architectural patterns, such as event-driven microservice using Kafka.

• 5+ years of hands-on experience with Typescript/javaScript backend stack using frameworks such as Express, Nest.js, and Node.js.

• Practical examples of complex system data modeling and servicing using REST, GraphQL, no-SQL/SQL databases & ORMs.

• Experience with DevOps culture using cloud computing in AWS (strongly preferred), Azure, or GCP.

• A deep understanding of and hands-on experience with software deployment and operation using containerization technologies like

• Docker and container management like Kubernetes.

• Experience with development lifecycle management tools like Jira, Confluence, GitHub or similar.

• Experience in healthcare, life sciences, or other regulated industries.

Personal Qualifications 

• First and foremost, you are energized and motivated by the opportunity to build elegant software. You enjoy seeing your creation. work like a clock positively impacting thousands of people every year.

• You crave tough challenges in a super technical and collaborative environment that requires creativity and vision to navigate complex and ambiguous problems. 

• Passionate, purpose-driven, and excited about Karius’ mission.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Mastered your craft yet eager to learn and grow.

• Excellent problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to tackle complex problems.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently but also be an excellent team player.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced (startup) environment.

Disclaimer

The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Responsibilities and duties may change or be adjusted to meet the needs of the company, and additional duties may be assigned as necessary. The job description is subject to change at any time at the discretion of Karius.

At Karius, we value a diverse and inclusive workplace and provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and are committed to honor and invest in the full diversity of people, in our hiring, recruiting and development of employees across the Company. All qualified applicants for employment are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity and gender expression (including transgender individuals who are transitioning, have transitioned, or are perceived to be transitioning to the gender with which they identify), religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected] and we will accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities.