Senior Software Platform Engineer
Hybrid (Emeryville, CA)$160k - $210kFull-timePosted 4mo ago
About the role
Senior Software Platform Engineer to design, architect, and implement the next-generation software and controls platform for Prolific's optogenetic illumination systems. This on-site role from Emeryville, CA involves cross-functional collaboration with Firmware, Hardware, Data, and Bioprocess Engineering to build scalable, production-ready control systems and define long-term software direction.
Responsibilities
- Architect and develop the software platform connecting Prolific illumination hardware, firmware, cloud infrastructure, internal tooling, and future operational and customer-deployed systems
- Define software interfaces, communication layers, and subsystem boundaries across distributed control systems
- Collaborate closely with firmware and hardware engineers to design robust hardware/software interactions
- Establish scalable software infrastructure and engineering practices suitable for long-term productization
- Help define technical scopes, interfaces, and development strategy for external software development partners and contractors where appropriate
- Contribute hands-on across the stack while helping shape longer-term software technical direction
Qualifications
- MS with 5+ years or BS with 7+ years of professional software development experience. Degree in Software Engineering , Computer Science, or a related field preferred.
- Strong systems-level thinking and ability to reason across software, firmware, hardware, and operational workflows
- Ability to balance rapid prototyping with long-term architectural scalability
- Experience decomposing complex systems into modular, maintainable subsystems
- Fluency in Python and proficiency in at least one other general-purpose language (e.g. TypeScript, Go, Rust)
- Experience defining requirements, designing, implementing, and deploying software
- Experience designing software for reliability, maintainability, and operational robustness in mission-critical systems
- Experience deploying and maintaining cloud-connected applications or services
- Experience working with SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)
- Experience working closely with end users to iteratively improve software usability and workflows
- Experience setting up and owning their own development environment (incl. unit/integration/end-to-end testing, continuous integration, etc.)
- Experience interfacing software with hardware systems (serial, TCP/IP, etc.) and ability to debug issues across the software/hardware boundary
- Comfort working in Linux environments
Skills
Required:PythonAdditional general-purpose languageSystems thinkingCloud-connected softwareSQL databasesDevelopment environment ownershipHardware/software interoperability
Benefits
- Generous equity package in an early stage company
- retirement plan with company contribution
- flexible PTO with healthy time off minimums
- company-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance
- life and disability insurance
- career coaching
- mental health support
- free team lunches everyday
- great snacks
- companywide social events
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Prolific Machines
Illuminating biomanufacturing. Enabling tomorrow’s biotherapeutics.
Difficult protein production made simple. A next-generation expression system for next-generation therapeutics.
protein productionbiotherapeuticscell line developmentbiomanufacturingoptogeneticsAI-driven bioprocess optimization
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