The Senior Software Developer for Instrument Control is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software that directly controls and monitors clinical diagnostic instruments. This role owns significant portions of the instrument control stack, collaborates closely with hardware, systems, assay, and test teams, and ensures delivery of robust, maintainable, and compliant software used in regulated environments. This position operates with a high degree of autonomy, contributes to architecture and technical direction, and mentors other developers while remaining hands-on with complex instrument-facing code.
How You'll Make An Impact:
Instrument Control Software Development *
- Design, implement, and maintain C#-based instrument control software, including device communication, command sequencing, state machines, and error handling.
- Interface with hardware components such as sensors, actuators, motors, and controllers through defined protocols and APIs.
- Develop and maintain simulation and diagnostic tools to support development, manufacturing, and service workflows.
Architecture & Technical Ownership *
- Own medium-to-large instrument control subsystems end-to-end, from design through deployment and sustainment.
- Contribute to software architecture decisions, including layering, abstraction boundaries, and hardware-software interfaces.
- Ensure designs support scalability, testability, reliability, and long-term maintainability.
Quality, Reliability & Compliance *
- Develop software in compliance with regulated development processes (e.g., IEC 62304, ISO 13485 familiarity).
- Write and maintain unit tests, integration tests, and system-level tests for instrument control software.
- Support verification, validation, and root-cause analysis activities for instrument-related issues.
Cross-Functional Collaboration *
- Work closely with hardware engineering, systems engineering, assay development, manufacturing, and service teams to define and refine instrument behavior.
- Support instrument bring-up, integration, and troubleshooting activities in lab and manufacturing environments.
- Provide technical input during requirements definition, risk analysis, and design reviews.
Mentorship & Technical Leadership *
- Mentor junior and mid-level developers in C#, instrument control patterns, and best practices.
- Participate in and lead code reviews, promoting high coding standards and shared ownership.
- Act as a technical point of contact for instrument control topics within the software team.
What You Bring:
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
- 10+ years of professional software development experience, with significant hands-on C# development or related technology.
- Direct experience developing instrument control, device control, or hardware-adjacent software.
Technical Skills *
- Strong proficiency in C# and .NET, including object-oriented design and multithreading.
- Experience implementing state machines, command/response patterns, and robust error handling.
- Familiarity with hardware communication concepts (e.g., serial, TCP/IP, USB, or vendor SDKs).
- Experience with debugging complex systems involving both software and hardware interactions.
Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications
- Experience in regulated medical, diagnostic, or life sciences environments.
- Familiarity with Agile/Scrum development processes.
- Experience supporting manufacturing test software or service/diagnostic tools.
Behavioral & Professional Competencies
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially for complex system-level issues.
- Ability to communicate effectively across software, hardware, and non-software stakeholders.
- Proactive ownership mindset with a focus on quality, reliability, and long-term product health.
- Comfortable working independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team culture.
Location: This position must be based in Hercules, California and requires the employee to be located within commuting distance of the office.
Total Rewards Package: At Bio-Rad, we're empowered by our purpose and recognize that our employees are as well. That's why we offer a competitive and comprehensive Total Rewards Program that provides value, quality, and inclusivity while satisfying the diverse needs of our evolving workforce. Bio-Rad's robust offerings serve to enrich the overall health, wealth, and wellbeing of our employees and their families through the various stages of an employee's work and life cycle.
Benefits: We're proud to offer a variety of options, including competitive medical plans for you and your family, free HSA funds, a new fertility offering with stipend, group life and disability, paid parental leave, 401k plus profit sharing, an employee stock purchase program, a new upgraded and streamlined mental health platform, extensive learning and development opportunities, education benefits, student debt relief program, pet insurance, wellness challenges and support, paid time off, Employee Resource Groups (ERG's), and more!
Compensation: The estimated base salary range for this position is $157,400 to $216,400 at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be provided in writing at the time of offer, if applicable, and is based on several factors we believe fairly and accurately impact compensation, including geographic location, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and other job permitted factors. This position is eligible for a variable annual bonus, which is dependent upon achievement of your individual objectives and Company performance.
Who We Are: For 70 years, Bio-Rad has focused on advancing the discovery process and transforming the fields of science and healthcare. As one of the top five life science companies, we are a global leader in developing, manufacturing, and marketing a broad range of high-quality research and clinical diagnostic products. We help people everywhere live longer, healthier lives. Bio-Rad offers a unique employee experience with collaborative teams that span the globe. Here, you are supported by leadership to build your career and are empowered to drive change that makes an impact you can see.
EEO Statement: Bio-Rad is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and we welcome candidates of all backgrounds. Veterans, people with physical or mental disabilities, and people of all race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin and citizenship status are encouraged to apply.
Agency Non-Solicitation:Bio-Rad does not accept agency resumes, unless the agency has been authorized by a Bio-Rad Recruiting Representative. Please do not submit resumes unless authorized to do so. Bio-Rad will not pay for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
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Legal Entity: (USA_1000)Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
