Software Engineer (Backend)

About Plasmidsaurus

Plasmidsaurus is on a mission to accelerate new cures and promote a healthier planet by unlocking a new level of productivity for scientists who use DNA tools to bring their ideas to life. Our DNA sequencing tools are used daily by thousands of innovators, including Nobel prize winners, dynamic biotech startups, research labs, and DIY biohackers. Our global network of labs operates day and night to enable world-changing discoveries. In 2024, we saved these scientists 2 million hours of time, radically accelerating their research. Every team member at Plasmidsaurus plays a crucial role in driving forward the future of biotech research.

DNA sequencing is fundamental to a biologist’s daily workflow. Just like software engineers program computers in code, biologists program life in DNA - they do this every day. However, every time a biologist updates their DNA (via a chemical process), they have to sequence the DNA to make sure the update works. That’s where we come in! 

We sequence DNA overnight (and same-day). Our global logistics network transports tubes of DNA from a scientist’s hand from anywhere in the world to one of our 10 labs in under 12 hours. Our technicians come in the evening/sunrise to load our robots which process the samples. By sunrise, the scientists have their results and begin their next round of experiments. We made this process 30 times cheaper and 10 times faster. 

Position Overview

You'll work on backend services that power our impact on the biotech ecosystem, wearing many hats from: 

• Building REST APIs that allow our customers to seamlessly integrate their DNA sequencing results

• Developing services and integrating APIs for our blazing fast logistics network, coordinating our couriers around the world

• Building robust payment services to streamline billing, invoicing, and product pricing

• Building infrastructure to coordinate our lab robotics and sequencing machines

Culture

You are someone who: 

• Enjoys high agency and high ownership work

• Is curious about learning from other people’s expertise in scientific/biological domains 

• Is excited to make an impact on the scientific community, enabling the next generation of medicines, biotechnology, and even plant-based-meats! 

• Can lead projects from idea to production independently 

• Is a life-long learner

• Is excited to work in a tight-knit fast-paced environment with a motivated team 

• Values clear communication and helping others learn new skills 

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, or relevant work experience 

• 5+ years of industry experience 

• Experience with REST API best practices (such as OpenAPI) and microservices architecture 

• Familiarity with SQL and data modeling in relational databases 

• Experience with full-stack Python web frameworks like Flask or Django 

• Experience working in AWS (ECS, Lambda, Batch, RDS, StepFunctions, EventBridge) and infrastructure-as-code best practices 

• Experience working with task queues (such as Celery)

• Experience with modern unit and integration testing frameworks for Python

• Experience using CI/CD to deploy applications like Github Actions 

• Experience working with Linux servers 

• (Preferred) interest in learning about biotechnology and DNA sequence analysis 

Why Plasmidsaurus?

• IMPACT: Your work will directly contribute to accelerating biotech research. This research is one of humanity’s most powerful tools for stopping climate change and developing novel therapies.

• INNOVATION: Work on the cutting edge of biotech and software, introducing indispensable tools to top-tier researchers.

• COMMUNITY: Join a passionate, scrappy team that values close, interactive relationships with our customers and each other.

We encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn't perfectly align with the job description as we seek out diverse and creative perspectives. Team members who love to learn and collaborate in an inclusive environment will thrive with us. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. If you need additional accommodations to feel comfortable during your interview process, please let us know at careers@plas