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The Position

Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. Roche’s Research and Early Development organisations at Genentech (gRED) and Pharma (pRED) have demonstrated how these technologies accelerate R&D, leveraging data and novel computational models to drive impact. Seamless data sharing and access to models across gRED and pRED are essential to maximising these opportunities. The new Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic, unified group whose goal is to harness this transformative power of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist our scientists in both pRED and gRED to deliver more innovative and transformative medicines for patients worldwide.

Within the CoE organisation, the Data and Digital Catalyst (DDC) organisation drives the modernisation of our computational and data ecosystems and integration of digital technologies across Research and Early Development to enable our stakeholders, power data-driven science and accelerate decision-making.

As a Principal Software Engineer for the Automation Core team within the Engineering - Lab Automation capability, you will be a key technical leader, responsible for driving the architecture and implementation of major, high-impact cross-vendor automation control and data frameworks. You will solve the most complex technical challenges for the team, ensuring the resulting systems are scalable and reliable. Your work will be vital in shaping our core automation strategy and enabling our scientists with reliable and interconnected systems to accelerate drug discovery.

The Opportunity

• Define and lead the technical architecture and design of complex, cross-vendor frameworks for integrating with automated systems and workcells.

• Drive the technical roadmap for the core automation control and data frameworks, ensuring alignment with the goals of the Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE).

• Serve as the senior technical expert and consultant for engineers across the Lab Automation capability regarding system control, data extraction, and workflow connectivity strategies.

• Set and enforce high technical standards for code quality, testing, deployment, and performance for the reusable frameworks.

• Lead the investigation and resolution of critical, large-scale distributed system issues related to automation control and integration.

• Partner with the Team Lead and other key stakeholders to define the long-term technical strategy for a standardized and scalable framework for lab automation control.

• Be willing to span the stack and contribute where needed, even outside of your core area of expertise.

Who You Are

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field plus 7+ years of progressive experience in Biotech/Pharma, focused on architecting and deploying scalable software systems for scientific research.

• Expert technical knowledge of principles related to distributed systems, data engineering, software architecture, cloud-native architectures (ideally AWS), and system design.

• Demonstrated record of outstanding performance through technical leadership and deep, hands-on technical contributions. Proven ability to define high-level technical architecture and execute complex technical work.

• Expert-level proficiency in Python and Java.

• Deep knowledge of lab workflows and integrated workcells and direct experience with automation control systems (e.g., scheduling software, liquid handlers, robotic arms) is essential.

• Excellent communication skills and ability to build trusted partnerships with internal and external collaborators. A passion for direct, continuous engagement with scientists (end users) to rapidly iterate, refine features and deploy quickly.

Ready to take the next step? We'd love to hear from you. Apply now to explore this exciting opportunity!

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Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.