Systems Engineer

Candidates need to be local to the San Francisco Bay Area!

No 3rd party agencies! Direct W2 contractors only! We are not able to sponsor H1B Visa's.

We are seeking a passionate Systems Engineer to join our Systems Development Group to support the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) products. The candidate is expected to be a hands-on key contributor in the feasibility, development, customer support, and integration phases of end-to-end NGS solutions, according to customer & product requirements, and applicable regulatory and quality standards. In addition, maintains detailed documentation throughout all phases of research and development.

ROLE SUMMARY:
Client at Santa Clara site is developing new technologies to make genetic testing easy, reliable, and affordable. We are creating technologies and workflows that can be used to improve the lives of people in a wide variety of applications including the timely screening of newborns for diseases and the diagnosis of cancers and infectious diseases.
Roche is looking for a motivated and team-oriented individual who is passionate about revolutionizing sequencing technology. As a Senior System Engineer, you will learn how to use the new client's Single Molecule Sequencing platform and help to develop the final operating protocols. The candidate will help design and perform wet-lab experiments to further develop the sequencing prototype instrument. The candidate will work with his/her manager and team members to interpret the experimental results and design future experiments. The candidate must be self-motivated and able to work well in a multidisciplinary team environment.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Become an expert on the operation of the client's Single Molecule Sequencing Platform.
Perform a variety of sample prep, library, or sequencing and sequencing related experiments on a daily basis, help to analyze and interpret the data.
General support of diverse research and development activities.
Customer support activities such as monitoring runs, documenting and communicating defects, and following escalation paths to resolve customer issues
Contribute to the platform verification team as a member by executing, analyzing, and interpreting the results of platform verification studies.
Perform all work using best laboratory practices and maintain a well-organized and concise record of work performed and progress made.
Assist engineers with hardware design through testing subcomponents
Analyze data, derive conclusions, document findings, write SOPs and prepare reports for sharing within and between R&D groups
Setup strong experimental designs while working independently.
Troubleshoot instrument failures and seek out specialized help as needed.

Responsibilities:
This position is responsible for, but not limited to, the following:
Develop and deploy a wide range of technologies, including sample extraction, library prep, and sequencing.
Develop, execute, and document test cases for verification and validation. Ensures complete and comprehensive coverage of requirements in the test campaigns.
Customer support through monitoring of runs, early morning meetings to discuss defects, results and progress, QC of reagents and configuration used for customer, possible travel to customer sites.
Support of instrument fleet to learn troubleshooting techniques as needed to assist R&D and to support customers
Perform system integration and testing activities and verify system performance through simulation, tests, and measurements. Assess results for applicability, validity, and conformance to product requirements.
Work independently with general management direction to drive product development and collaborations to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Keep supervisor/project leader informed of project status, particularly of significant findings and results in critical problem areas.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
B.S. or M.S. or PhD degree in the science/chemistry/engineering required and 1-5 years of experience (depending on educational background).

(Candidates with hands-on experience with DNA sequencing such as raw sample preparation, nucleic acid extraction, library preparation, and NGS sequencing are encouraged to apply)

Previous laboratory experience required.
Familiarity with MATLAB, GIT, Python or similar tools for data analysis and/or automation.
Previous experience with prototype instruments or DNA sequencing desirable.
Previous experience with PCR required.
Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential.
Demonstrated ability to work well in teams and across scientific disciplines is essential.
The candidate should be passionate, self-motivated, and possess a strong desire to acquire on-the-job training.