AI Biotech Platform Engineer (React + Python)

Benchling; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 148,159 - 200,451; Full time

Job summary

Benchling is building AI-enabled biotech tools with a strong emphasis on data integrity and scalable architecture. We seek a software engineer who can own end-to-end features on the React + Python stack, mentor teammates, and push for performance improvements across backend and frontend systems.

You will collaborate with product, design, and platform teams to deliver cohesive solutions in a fast-paced, hybrid in-office setting. A strong communicator who thrives on ambiguity will excel here.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong coding skills and engineering fundamentals – able to turn product requirements into well-architected, maintainable, and tested code.
• Experience building scalable, reliable systems with attention to performance and user impact.
• Leadership in engineering practices – drives and upholds high standards in testing, code quality, reviews, version control, and team development workflows.
• Proven ability to work across teams – partnering with product, design, and platform groups to ship cohesive solutions.
• Strategic problem solving – tackles complex, ambiguous technical challenges with a focus on long-term impact, scalability, and user value.
• Comfortable pushing back thoughtfully – advocate for technical solutions that improve quality, scalability, and maintainability.
• Experience mentoring others and contributing to team growth – through onboarding, pairing, and process improvement.
• Clear and effective communicator, especially in cross-functional settings.
• Curiosity and adaptability – excited to learn about life sciences and work in a fast-changing domain (no prior domain knowledge required – though it's a huge bonus )

Responsibilities

• Drive complex, end-to-end projects: Lead the design, implementation, and delivery of high-impact features and systems across the stack (React + Python). Translate product requirements into scalable architecture and thoughtful user experiences, while proactively identifying risks and tradeoffs.
• Shape technical direction and architecture: Make foundational engineering decisions that improve system performance, reliability, and scalability. Collaborate with other senior engineers to evolve our platform and influence long-term technical strategy. Collaborate cross-functionally: Work closely with product managers, designers, customer success, and other engineering teams to create clarity and ensure alignment on goals, seamless handoffs, and shared understanding of scientific user needs.
• Identify and address technical debt: Own proactive improvements to the codebase and infrastructure. Refactor critical systems for maintainability and performance, and champion investments that improve long-term developer velocity.
• Design for performance and scale: Build systems that can handle the complexity and scale of life sciences R&D. Optimize backend performance, frontend responsiveness, and system reliability.
• Mentor and support other engineers: Act as a technical mentor and sounding board for other engineers. Help grow the team's technical skills through guidance, pairing, and knowledge sharing.
• Elevate code quality and engineering practices: Set high standards for code quality, testing, documentation, and operational excellence. Lead by example, perform thorough code reviews, and help raise the bar across the team.

Skills

Software engineering

System design

Performance tuning

Leadership

Cross-team collaboration

Problem solving

Mentoring

Communication

Domain learning

Job description

Benchling is building AI-enabled biotech tools with a strong emphasis on data integrity and scalable architecture. We seek a software engineer who can own end-to-end features on the React + Python stack, mentor teammates, and push for performance improvements across backend and frontend systems.

You will collaborate with product, design, and platform teams to deliver cohesive solutions in a fast-paced, hybrid in-office setting. A strong communicator who thrives on ambiguity will excel here.