Senior Software Engineer, Project A-Life

Software EngineeringMountain View, CA (HQ)

About the company

X is a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

About the team:

Biological cells are the most sophisticated manufacturing platform on Earth. Many of the world's materials could be made more sustainably through fermentation and renewable feedstocks. However biology is so complex that today, engineering cells to make materials is closer to trial-and-error rather than predictive design. Too many bio-made materials die in the "Valley of Death” gap between a successful experiment in a lab and large-scale commercial fermentation.

At A-Life, we’re building the AI toolkit to bridge that gap. We specialize in the "cells that make things," creating the software that allows scientists to engineer biology for real-world performance at scale. We’re building for a bioeconomy at scale that’s good for people and the planet.

You don’t need a biology background to do this, though a science background helps. You just need to be a world-class engineer who is curious and ready to solve insanely hard, physical-world problems. If you want to build the foundational code for the future of manufacturing, we’d love to talk with you. Learn more about Project A-Life here.

About the role

We are looking for a nimble, creative Software Engineer to join our small multidisciplinary team. As an early hire, you won’t just be writing tickets. You will be architecting the foundational software that allows AI to interface with complex biological data. You will work directly with our computational biologists and lab scientists to solve hard problems with elegant, scalable software tools.

How you will have 10X impact:

  • Architect from scratch: Design and build the core infrastructure of our AI toolkit, ensuring it can handle complex datasets from both lab-scale experiments and industrial bioreactors.
  • Bridge biology and code: Work closely with biologists to understand their workflow and build tools that solve the "Valley of Death" bottleneck.
  • Full-Stack ownership: Take responsibility for everything from data pipelines and backend AI integration to the frontend tools used by cell engineers.
  • Shape the Culture: As an early member of a small team, you will help define our engineering standards, our tech stack, and our company culture.
  • A generalist at heart: You are comfortable moving across the stack. You care more about solving the problem than using a specific language or tool.
  • Mission-obsessed: You are energized by the idea of using technology to solve big challenges in climate and biotechnology.
  • Comfortable with ambiguity: You thrive in a "move fast" team environment where the roadmap evolves as we learn.
  • Technically fearless: You aren't intimidated by the prospect of building software for a field as complex and messy as biology.

What you should have:

We’re looking for scrappy, creative engineers who know best practices but build innovative solutions that are right-sized for an early-stage team.

  • BS/MS in CS or equivalent practical experience
  • Experience with software development for data-heavy scientific applications
  • PhD in CS or a natural science is preferred but not required
  • Startup experience, or equivalent experience on early stage teams
  • 5+ years of experience building software in an enterprise environment
  • Experience with Google Cloud developer tools, including the latest in AI

It’d be great if you also had these:

  • People management experience
  • Experience in life-science or bio-tech projects

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $174,000 - $250,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.

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