Backend & AI Platform Engineer

Danaher Corporation; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a Danaher operating company, seeks a Backend & AI Platform Engineer in San Jose, CA. You will architect and build backend services and APIs that connect laboratory instruments, cloud infrastructure, and AI agents to power automated workflows.

You will collaborate with the R&D Software team to develop LLM-powered applications and ensure scalable, secure production deployments. The role demands 7+ years in distributed backend systems, cloud platforms, and API design.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years of experience designing, building, and supporting distributed backend systems and APIs.
• Experience with event-driven architectures, microservices, and cloud-native apps on AWS/Azure/GCP.
• Hands-on experience building LLM-powered applications or multi-agent systems.
• Strong API design and scalable backend architecture with production-grade readiness.

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop event-driven backend services and APIs linking instruments, cloud, and AI agents.
• Design scalable data and context management for LLM-powered systems (retrieval, memory, state, tools).
• Build and maintain orchestration services for AI agents, devices, and software systems.
• Define data contracts, integration standards, and observability across instrument fleets and platforms.
• Prototype and mature AI/agent tech into production capabilities meeting regulatory requirements.

Skills

Distributed backend systems

APIs design

Event-driven architectures

ML/LLM-powered applications

Cloud-native applications

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science/Software Engineering

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Bring more to life.

Are you ready to accelerate your potential and make a real difference within life sciences, diagnostics and biotechnology?

At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, one of Danaher’s 15+ operating companies, our work saves lives—and we’re all united by a shared commitment to innovate for tangible impact.

You’ll thrive in a culture of belonging where you and your unique viewpoint matter. And by harnessing Danaher’s system of continuous improvement, you help turn ideas into impact – innovating at the speed of life.

At Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, we know time is the most critical facet in the laboratory today: time to get life-saving therapies to patients faster; reclaiming time by automating tedious manual workflows; and saving time spent addressing erroneous or complex results.

We are partners in time and accelerate answers to critical questions through the power of automation. We develop innovations for scientists by scientists, with many of our 3,300+ global colleagues coming from the laboratory.

It’s all part of our time-tested approach to bringing meaningful innovations at the speed of life since 1935. And we’re just beginning. Working together, let’s put our time and talents together to advance human health for tomorrow.

Learn about the Danaher Business System which makes everything possible.

Backend & AI Platform Engineer is responsible for creating the backend platform that powers intelligent automation across scientific workflows. By enabling AI agents to securely access data, orchestrate experiments, and integrate with complex instrument ecosystems, this role directly drives platform scalability, customer value, and the company’s ability to deliver next generation AI-enabled laboratory operations.

This position reports to the Senior Manager, Software Engineering - Automation and is part of the R&D Software team located in San Jose, California and Indianapolis, Indiana.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to:

• Architect and develop event-driven backend services and APIs that connect laboratory instruments, cloud infrastructure, and AI agents into a unified platform.
• Design scalable data and context management solutions for LLM-powered systems, including retrieval pipelines, memory, state management, and tool integration frameworks.
• Build and maintain orchestration services that coordinate planning, execution, monitoring, and recovery across heterogeneous AI agents, devices, and software systems.
• Define and govern data contracts, integration standards, and observability practices to ensure reliable, secure, and resilient communication across instrument fleets and platform services.
• Rapidly prototype and evaluate emerging AI and agent technologies, then mature successful solutions into production ready capabilities that meet the performance, reliability, and compliance requirements of regulated customer environments.

The essential requirements of the job include:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
• 7+ years of experience designing, building, and supporting distributed backend systems and APIs
• Proven experience developing and operating event driven architectures, microservices, and cloud native applications using platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP
• Hands-on experience building LLM-powered applications or multi-agent systems, including orchestration, tool integration, retrieval architecture, and context management
• Strong expertise in API design and scalable backend architecture, with demonstrated ability to rapidly prototype new solutions while maintaining a clear path to production quality enterprise ready implementations

Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 15% domestically and internationally

It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:

• Laboratory informatics platforms and standards such as LIMS, ELN, and SiLA 2, including integration with scientific instruments and laboratory workflows.
• Working in regulated or compliance driven environments, including GxP, HIPAA, SOC 2, or similar frameworks

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a Danaher operating company, offers a broad array of comprehensive, competitive benefit programs that add value to our lives. Whether it’s a health care program or paid time off, our programs contribute to life beyond the job. Check out our benefits at Danaher Benefits Info.

The annual salary range for this role is $150,000 - $200,000. This is the range that we in good faith believe is the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. This range may be modified in the future.

This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.

We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company’s sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

For more information, visit www.danaher.com.

Danaher Corporation and all Danaher Companies are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other characteristics protected by law.

The U.S. EEO posters are available here.

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We comply with federal and state disability laws and make reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact:1-202-419-7762 or [e-mail].