Senior Software Platform Engineer

Requirements

• MS with 5+ years or BS with 7+ years of professional software development experience. Degree in Software Engineering , Computer Science, or a related field preferred.
• Strong systems-level thinking and ability to reason across software, firmware, hardware, and operational workflows
• Ability to balance rapid prototyping with long-term architectural scalability
• Experience decomposing complex systems into modular, maintainable subsystems
• Fluency in Python and proficiency in at least one other general-purpose language (e.g. TypeScript, Go, Rust)
• Experience defining requirements, designing, implementing, and deploying software
• Experience designing software for reliability, maintainability, and operational robustness in mission-critical systems
• Experience deploying and maintaining cloud-connected applications or services
• Experience working with SQL databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, etc.)
• Experience working closely with end users to iteratively improve software usability and workflows
• Experience setting up and owning their own development environment (incl. unit/integration/end-to-end testing, continuous integration, etc.)
• Experience interfacing software with hardware systems (serial, TCP/IP, etc.) and ability to debug issues across the software/hardware boundary
• Comfort working in Linux environments

Additional Information

Prolific Machines is ushering in a new era of biotechnology with light. Our mission is to make next-generation therapies broadly available to patients. Our first-of-its-kind Photomolecular Platform uses light to precisely guide how cells produce complex biologics, enabling higher titers, improved quality, and faster development timelines. By helping partners overcome today's manufacturing bottlenecks, we're accelerating the delivery of life-changing medicines. Prolific is supported by leading investors, including Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Mayfield, and SOSV. Help us create a brighter tomorrow with biology. We're looking for mission-driven, talented, and kind people to join our team. This is a high-ownership role with significant opportunity to shape the long-term direction of software systems at Prolific. As a foundational Software Engineer within the organization, you will have substantial influence over architecture, tooling, and long-term technical direction. We're looking for a Software Engineer to help define and build the next-generation software and controls platform underlying Prolific's illumination systems. This role will serve as a foundational software hire within a multidisciplinary illuminator technology team, helping define software architecture across device control, cloud-connected infrastructure, internal tooling, and future customer-facing systems. This individual will work closely with Firmware, Hardware, Data, and Bioprocess Engineering teams to develop scalable, production-ready control systems for next-generation illumination products. Over time, this role is expected to help define software architecture, interfaces, and development strategy as Prolific expands both internal software capabilities and external development partnerships. This is not a traditional consumer web or SaaS role. Success in this position requires strong systems thinking and comfort operating across the hardware/software boundary. The ideal candidate enjoys working in-person, operating close to real-world systems and hardware, and is comfortable working across abstraction layers rather than specializing narrowly in frontend or backend development. This role will be primarily based on-site in Emeryville, CA with some hybrid flexibility depending on current project needs. Benefits: Generous equity package in an early stage company, retirement plan with company contribution, flexible PTO with healthy time off minimums, company-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, career coaching, mental health support, free team lunches everyday, great snacks, and companywide social events! Diversity: Prolific Machines values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive workplace where all employees can bring their authentic selves to work and have equal opportunities to succeed. Prolific Machines is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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