At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

At Roche, we are working to make next-generation sequencing simple and accessible enough for routine use. By accelerating clinical research, streamlining workflows, and expanding assay menus, we are broadening access to genomic data and lowering barriers to adoption. From robust sample isolation and preparation tools to novel sequencing technology and advanced bioinformatics, we are developing differentiated, highly integrated end-to-end solutions for next-generation sequencing, resulting in a sample in, result out workflow.

Our Systems Technology Group, a part of Roche Sequencing Solutions, is seeking an accomplished technical leader and visionary architect to drive our next-generation instrument research and early development projects. This is a rare opportunity for a hands-on, multi-disciplinary expert to not only translate a high-level commercial vision into a tangible reality but to actively contribute to shaping that vision. You will be responsible for synthesizing user needs, advanced chemistry and challenging workflows into a cohesive system architecture and for orchestrating the complex interplay between hardware, software, and consumables. This is a role for an expert who thrives on bridging the gap between strategy and implementation by serving as a key strategic partner in defining the future of our R&D roadmap while personally driving the execution during the critical research and early development phases.

Architectural & Strategic Leadership

You will lead the architectural design of next-generation instruments by translating user needs into technical blueprints, decomposing system-level requirements into subsystem specifications, and guiding data-driven decisions through trade-off studies and technology down-selection.

You will ensure system architectures and designs are reliable, scalable, and serviceable to meet all  performance targets, provide sufficient flexibility and ensure long-term platform success.

You will drive innovation and influence the R&D technology roadmap by creating and testing novel concepts, generating intellectual property, and championing new technologies that define the future of our platforms.
 

Project & Team Management

You will serve as the technical project lead, coordinating a multi-disciplinary team while managing technical scope, risk, and resources to drive progress against ambitious project milestones.

You will help recruit, hire, mentor and lead a world-class engineering team, fostering a culture of strong work ethics, systems-level thinking, and engineering rigor. You will also help cultivate the next generation of technical leaders within the organization.

You will establish and promote engineering best practices, ensuring a disciplined and rigorous approach to product development.
 

Hands-on Execution & Collaboration

You will serve as a hands-on contributor to solve the toughest technical challenges, leading by example in hypothesis-driven troubleshooting efforts that may span hardware, software, chemistry, and consumables.

You will partner with hardware, software, and integration leads to guide the technical strategy for early stage system verification and characterization, defining robust test plans and using data-driven analysis to optimize performance and ensure prototypes meet or exceed all target specifications.

You will partner with assay development scientists and integration engineers to ensure the instrument architecture seamlessly supports complex biological and chemical workflows and provides the necessary flexibility.
 

Stakeholder Management & Documentation

You will act as the primary technical interface with key stakeholders, including internal R&D leadership, product management, and external partners or suppliers, effectively communicating complex technical concepts.

You will identify, evaluate, and manage relationships with critical technology partners, vendors, and suppliers for key subsystems and components.

You will own key system-level documentation such as architectural diagrams, interface control documents, technical risk assessments and verification plans during the research and early development stages.

This is an on-site position based in Santa Clara, CA.
Relocation benefits are not being offered for this role.

​​​

Who You Are (Required):

You have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, or a related discipline with at least 10 years of relevant industry experience; OR a Master's degree with at least 12 years of relevant industry experience; OR a Bachelor's degree with at least 14 years of relevant industry experience.

You are a subject matter expert in at least one core engineering discipline with broad, system-level knowledge across others, demonstrated by your experience designing, building, and troubleshooting complex life science instruments involving fluidics, thermal control, and advanced sensing or detection technologies.

You have a demonstrated track record of serving as a system architect, technical lead, or principal engineer for at least one full product development cycle of a complex life science instrument, from concept through to commercialization.

You have demonstrated expertise in mechanical design, multi-physics simulations and data analysis tools.

You have proven experience translating vision and high-level requirements into detailed system and subsystem specifications, and the ability to think strategically, connecting project-level decisions to long-term business and technology goals.

You have excellent project management and organizational skills, with proven experience planning, prioritizing, and allocating resources to successfully manage multiple technical projects.

You have experience leading technical risk management activities and developing robust mitigation strategies.

You have demonstrated strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to communicate complex technical knowledge in a clear and understandable manner to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

You have demonstrated leadership skills; have successfully built/lead a high-performing, multi-disciplinary engineering team.

You are an action-oriented and decisive problem-solver, thriving in a fast-paced environment where you work with a sense of urgency and optimism.
 

Who You Are: (Preferred)

You have direct experience with the design and development of next-generation sequencing instrumentation.

You have direct experience with advanced microfluidic systems, from design and fabrication to system integration and control.

You have demonstrated the ability to solve unique or unprecedented issues that span hardware, software, chemistry, and consumables.

You have experience developing products in a regulated environment using rigorous methodologies such as Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and statistical process control for system characterization and optimization.

You have a strong record of innovation, demonstrated by a portfolio of patents and/or publications in relevant fields.

You have experience managing external development partners, vendors, and contract manufacturers.

You possess a deep scientific curiosity and an innate desire to learn, be challenged, and challenge the status quo.
 

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Santa Clara, CA is $157,000 - $330,500.  Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.  A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. 

This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.

Benefits

#RSSKB2025

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. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants.