Associate Director, Software Engineering - Order Management

At Personalis, we are transforming the active management of cancer through breakthrough personalized testing. We aim to drive a new paradigm for cancer management, guiding care from biopsy through the life of the patient. Our highly sensitive assays combine tumor-and-normal profiling with proprietary algorithms to deliver advanced insights even as cancer evolves over time. Our products are designed to detect minimal residual disease (MRD) and recurrence at the earliest timepoints, enable selection of targeted therapies based on ultra-comprehensive genomic profiling, and enhance biomarker strategy for drug development. Personalis is based in Fremont, California.

Summary:

This position will be an organizational leader of software engineering focused on order management from lead to receipt. A practitioner of agile and test-driven software development, this leader will push the organization to test early and test often to de-risk software delivery. By understanding and communicating business objectives and risk mitigation strategies for LDTs and IVDs, this leader will collaborate with other departments, such as QA and Regulatory, to streamline software development and delivery through process refinement and automation.

Onsite: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday

Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of scalable order management systems, ensuring seamless integration across Salesforce, front-end portals, and backend services. Oversee engineering teams working on cloud-native applications deployed via AWS and Kubernetes, ensuring high availability, resilience, cost efficiency, and compliance with HIPAA, CLIA, CAP, NYSDOH, and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 regulations.
• Drive full-stack development initiatives, guiding teams across React/Angular (or similar) for frontend and Node.js/Java/Python for backend, with a focus on performance and maintainability.
• Partner with product and business stakeholders to define and execute a strategic roadmap for ordering and fulfillment capabilities.
• Ensure tight integration between internal tools and Salesforce CRM, enabling consistent data flow and supporting sales and customer success operations.
• Ensure bidirectional integration with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) and external platforms to support lab workflows, sample tracking, and results reporting in accordance with regulatory guidelines.
• Establish and enforce best practices in DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, monitoring, and observability, leveraging tools like GitHub Actions, Terraform, and Prometheus.
• Mentor and develop engineering talent, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with security, compliance, and IT teams to ensure adherence to industry regulations and internal standards.
• Track and manage KPIs related to system performance, reliability, delivery velocity, and customer impact.

Requirements:

Education & Experience

• BS degree in a life sciences/scientific/engineering or quality management curriculum or equivalent experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• 10+ years of software engineering experience, with 3+ years in a leadership or management role.
• Prior experience in a regulated healthcare or diagnostics environment (CLIA, CAP, FDA, or NYSDOH).
• Proven track record of delivering cloud-native applications in AWS and container orchestration using Kubernetes.
• Proficient in designing microservices architectures and API integrations.
• Experience with Salesforce integration, preferably in healthcare or life sciences contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in full-stack development (e.g., React/TypeScript + Node.js/Java/Python).
• Deep understanding of DevOps practices, CI/CD, and infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
• Familiarity with 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, and other relevant compliance frameworks.
• Strong understanding of data security, audit logging, and system validation requirements for diagnostic software.

Leadership & Communication

• Ability to follow up with task owners to close out open items.
• Familiarity with structured phase-gate product development processes.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience collaborating and communicating with individuals at multiple levels.
• Ability to organize and judge priorities.
• Ability to generate and maintain accurate records.
• Able to work effectively in a high-inte