Senior Backend Engineer - Core Java & Systems Integration

Location: San Carlos, California, United States

Department: Engineering

Workplace: on_site

Employment Type: full

Description

About Clear Labs

Clear Labs harnesses the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS) to simplify complex diagnostics for clinical and applied markets. By creating a fully automated platform that brings together DNA sequencing, robotics, and cloud-based analytics, Clear Labs democratizes genomics applications to deliver clarity. Our turnkey platform accelerates outcomes and improves accuracy from food-borne pathogens to infectious diseases.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a hands-on Senior Backend Software Engineer to join our lean, high-impact engineering team as a core platform owner. This role is a critical replacement for a key team member and focuses exclusively on the "connective tissue" of our platform—architecting robust Java backend services and low-latency integration bridges between physical lab automation hardware and our cloud ecosystem.

This is an opportunity for a purist backend systems engineer. You will own the deterministic state machine that ensures our physical robotics and cloud orchestration layers operate in perfect synchronization.

Primary Responsibilities

• Core JVM Service Development: Own, develop, and maintain a distributed matrix of 30+ microservices using Java and Spring Boot.
• Systems Integration: Analyze, design, and build bulletproof, replay-safe API integrations between Clear Labs, external bioinformatics analysis pipelines, and clinical middleware (LIMS/EHR).
• State Orchestration & Messaging: Drive architectural resilience using Domain-Driven Design (DDD) principles, leveraging Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), RabbitMQ, and GCP Cloud Pub/Sub for asynchronous event streaming.
• Data & Performance Engineering: Optimize and harden existing transactional database services (MySQL, Redis) for extreme reliability under high concurrency and massive data scale.
• On-Market Tier Support: Act as the high-level technical lead for production escalations, triaging and troubleshooting deep infrastructure bugs within our grid service layers.
• Compliance & Hardening: Implement technical security controls as we advance toward SOC2 and ISO 27001 compliance standards.

Requirements

Position Requirements

• Legal Invariant: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Clear Labs does not provide employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.
• Location Invariant: Able to commute daily to our San Carlos, CA headquarters for a 100% on-site schedule.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional backend software development experience in a production environment.
• Core Language: Elite proficiency in Java and the Spring Boot ecosystem (Dependency Injection, Spring Data, Transaction Management).
• Infrastructure & Messaging: Hands-on experience operating containerized workloads on cloud infrastructure (strictly GCP/GKE preferred) utilizing message brokers like RabbitMQ or Cloud Pub/Sub.
• Databases: Deep knowledge of relational databases (MySQL), including schema design, constraint invariants, query tuning, and indexing strategies.
• Testing Philosophy: A strict affinity for writing comprehensive unit and integration tests (JUnit, Mockito, TestContainers) as a mandatory definition of "done."

Nice to Have

• Prior experience building LIMS or EHR data integrations (HL7, FHIR).
• Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks (SOC2/ISO 27001 control mapping).
• Experience writing automation scripts in Python or TypeScript.
  

Physical Requirements

• Able to sit or stand at a computer for extended periods and use monitors and related hardware comfortably.

Benefits

• Salary range: $121,500–$150,000
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Employer-Sponsored Basic Life/AD&D, 60% Short-Term/Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Time Off
• Stock Option Plan
• Lunch stipend for days at headquarters

Notice of E-Verify Participation: Clear Labs participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. For more information, please review the E-Verify Participation Poster (English/Spanish) and the Right to Work Poster (English/Spanish).

Disclaimer

The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. Responsibilities and duties may change or be adjusted to meet the needs of the company, and additional duties may be assigned as necessary. The job description is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the Company.