Experienced Engineering Manager, Applications
Over the coming years, biotech will fundamentally rewrite the way we live. Gene editing and cell therapy are dramatically changing how we treat cancer and other major illnesses. Biofuels and biomaterials are transforming the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and the makeup of everyday objects. Crop science and synthetic biology are producing sustainable and ethical food. Benchling’s mission is to accelerate the research that propels us towards this reality, and magnify its impact, through modern software.
Every day, scientists around the world use Benchling’s applications, platform, & analytics in their efforts to solve humanity's most pressing problems. For these scientists, Benchling is the central technology they use to conduct their research. Our customers include pharmaceutical giants, leading biotechs, and the world's most renowned research institutes. Benchling is at the heart of 250 enterprises, 1000+ institutions, and 175,000+ scientists who actively use Benchling’s applications to do their research.
Benchling’s application suite is the front-line of what scientists use on a daily basis. These applications support the entire life science research process: a molecular biology suite to analyze and work with DNA; a bioregistry to store dynamic, large-scale structured data about every detail of an experiment; an inventory tracking system to digitally track plate’s and container’s contents and location; an electronic lab notebook that works with scientists to help them track experimental information easily; a request system to handle task management at larger organizations; and a workflows application to design and track complex, multi-team, multi-month experiments.
These applications work seamlessly together to provide a single scientific experience. Our core mission as a team is becoming the single-source of truth. Scientists are used to the status quo of manual data entry, data import/export to go from one program to another, and spending dozens of hours every week simply entering data properly. Benchling is changing that by building a suite of well-integrated applications to support the entire research process.
As an engineering leader on the Applications team, you will be leading engineering on one or more of these Benchling applications. The right leader will understand how to balance complex scientific needs with the need to constantly iterate on new products, and be able to work effectively with the entire Applications team to build a unified Benchling experience.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Build and manage multiple teams of full-stack engineers working on the forefront of our application suite
- Work with product managers to build and execute on a long term roadmap that supports large scale biotech data while enabling the team to move quickly.
- Help develop internal quality-metrics for scientific analysis alongside QE
- Make Benchling a great place to work by actively supporting career development, growth, and mentoring of individuals; and by fostering a fun and inclusive team where everyone feels welcome.
TEAM:
- Start by managing 2 teams, grow from 8 to 30 people over next 2 years.
- Balance the skill sets and experience levels necessary to build out the team’s functions, and exhibiting a “bar-raiser” mindset, while preserving and building on the team’s culture and values.
YOU:
- Minimum 3 years of managing an engineering team, with a track record of building and managing high-performing teams with a culture of quality and continuous improvement; plus a minimum of five years as individual contributor engineer in software development.
- Experience working in both product-focused and platform-focused organizations; working directly with customers and meeting aggressive engineering targets.
- The ideal candidate has worked in both small organizations (sub 30 engineering team) and larger organizations (150+ engineers). This will allow them to effectively balance moving fast with thinking about long-term consequences, and draw on past experiences to make better decisions.
- The ideal candidate has managed a team of 10+ and managed managers in the past.
- Required Technical skills
- Deep understanding and experience with a modern web development stack (e.g. one of Python, Ruby, Java, Go on the backend; some of Typescript, React, GraphQL, on the front end)
- Experience designing complex data models and system architectures
- BS in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience
Additional preferred skills:
- Working manager-level understanding of, or previous hands-on experience with, a service-oriented architecture
- Working manager-level understanding of, or previous hands-on experience with, general AWS fundamentals
OUR VALUES
- Empower through information. We explain the “why” behind every decision, unless there are highly sensitive circumstances. We're honest about how we're doing, especially in difficult times. We believe that sharing information builds trust and enables better decision-making.
- Rely on tenacity. Hard work is one of the greatest factors to determine success and is fully under our control. We must make the most of every day by bringing the highest level of determination. Dreaming big is not enough.
- Raise the bar. Pushing ourselves and others to improve will be uncomfortable and at times result in failure. However, it's critical to our success. We're dedicated to creating a place where everyone feels challenged to improve.
- Build a lever. We choose to build tools and infrastructure that will help others make world-changing innovations. There's less glory in it, but in the words of Archimedes, "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world."
PERKS AND BENEFITS
- Work with a talented yet humble team
- Competitive compensation & equity package
- 401k
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Monthly health & wellness stipend
- Weekly virtual social events, and annual company retreats
- *$1,000 work-from-home stipend
In following best practices and safety protocols, all Benchling employees are expected to work remotely until we are further advised that it is safe for employees to resume work in their respective office locations.
*To support remote work conditions, Benchling provides each employee a one-time stipend of $1,000 upon commencing employment, and additional discounted employee purchase plans for home-office equipment.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.