What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?
At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.
Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.
Staff Software Engineer – Cambridge (Granta Park), Hybrid.
Illumina Lab Services (ILS) has an exciting opportunity for an experienced software engineer to join the software and test team. This team builds software used by scientists to track and process large quantities of clinical genomic data and was instrumental in delivering the 100,000 genomes project. Building on this success, ILS is entering the next phase of the project and needs a Staff Software Engineer to help define the architecture and drive development of software that manages laboratory operations.
You’ll join a highly motivated team of software and test engineers that work closely with other teams across ILS, including bioinformatics and lab operations. Day-to-day activities span the entire development lifecycle and include both hands-on development and providing expertise to help define software architecture and design. This role also requires some technical leadership and would suit an experienced, proactive engineer who is looking for that next challenge. Most importantly you will have an opportunity to be part of a multidisciplinary group that delivers software solutions to support cutting-edge sequencing operations that make a difference to peoples’ lives.
Why You
You’re a collaborative and detail-oriented software engineer who thrives in Agile teams and enjoys working across the full development lifecycle. You bring strong experience in backend development with Python and REST APIs, and ideally have worked with client-side frameworks like AngularJS. You’re comfortable with CI/CD pipelines, containerisation tools like Docker and Kubernetes, and have a solid grasp of relational databases such as PostgreSQL or MySQL. Experience with regulated environments, cloud services (AWS), and event-driven architectures (Kafka or RabbitMQ) would be a plus. You’re a natural communicator who documents and shares knowledge instinctively, and you’re motivated by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful healthcare innovation.
Responsibilities
Collaborate with software engineers, test engineers and product owners across a global team to design, develop, and maintain full-stack applications and services in Agile teams. Lead technical discussions across local and global teams and provide guidance during architectural decision making. Maintain software designs and implement code changes to ensure alignment with software requirements. Be an advocate for our SDLC and ensure that software is developed in compliance with our quality management system and medical device standards. Maintain awareness of industry trends and evaluate suitability of new software technologies to platform development efforts. Provide technical assistance to escalated operational issues. Contribute to a shared responsibility for devops best practice. Scope to potentially broaden the role to include line-management in the future. Excellent communication skills and proven ability to articulate and communicate complex software concepts to different audiences. Team player who instinctively documents and shares information. Experience of developing back-end services and APIs in Python. Web development experience, preferably with client-side MVC Frameworks such as AngularJS. Packaging and deploying software using Docker, Kubernetes and Helm. Maintaining CI/CD pipelines for continuous software delivery. Designing and maintaining relational databases, preferably PostgreSQL and MySQL. Version control using Git and GitHub. Proficient at the Linux command line.
Desirable
Software development within a regulated environment, ideally to medical device standards. Developing event-driven software using Kafka or RabbitMQ. Experience with LIMS development. Software development using AWS services. Experience with NoSQL, preferably MongoDB. Java and Golang experience. Dashboarding and alerting using Grafana.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science, or a related engineering subject. Or equivalent experience
What Can You Expect
Our team members are bright, energetic, and dedicated – they are the driving force behind our innovation and impact. To attract the best and brightest, we offer a competitive employee benefits program. We view it as a smart investment in our people, one that recognises the tremendous value they bring to our business every day. At Illumina, we push boundaries. We think beyond the conventional. We dream big. With the energy of so many bright and accomplished people, the opportunities are endless.
INDEUR
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact To learn more, visit: The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
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