Principal Software Engineer

Overview

The Principal Software Engineer is a senior individual contributor responsible for designing, building, and improving the internal systems that power Neomorph’s scientific operations, data workflows, lab-facing software, and data-driven decision-making. This is a hands‑on role focused on delivering scalable, reliable systems that people depend on every day.

Working closely with Data Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Molecular Sciences, and Operations, you’ll turn complex requirements into practical, well‑designed systems. You’ll extend and improve a sophisticated internal platform of interconnected applications, including compound management, data visualization, and program management.

You’ll build new capabilities, improve existing integrations, and diagnose production issues, working directly with scientific users to turn real‑world needs into software they can depend on. The role includes ownership and evolution of systems and integrations within the broader platform.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in large codebases, takes ownership of data correctness, and ships pragmatic solutions in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

• Design, build, and maintain backend services, internal applications, automation jobs, and APIs within a Java‑based platform
• Architect and implement new features and capabilities within an existing application framework. Build lightweight React front‑ends where needed, integrated with Java back‑ends

• Build and maintain integrations with external scientific platforms
• Develop and maintain import/export pipelines, event‑driven workflows, and API‑based data synchronization
• Debug and resolve failures at the boundaries between internal and external systems

• Maintain high standards for code quality, testing, and documentation
• Improve system reliability, performance, and observability over time
• Contribute to CI/CD pipelines and development workflows

• Work directly with scientific and operational teams to develop solutions that meet user needs
• Identify opportunities to simplify and automate manual workflows, including evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies (e.g., AI agents, workflow orchestration, lab automation)

• Contribute to the evaluation of third‑party scientific platforms (ELN, LIMS, inventory systems) as potential replacements for or complements to internal systems
• Assess vendor APIs, data integration feasibility, and instrumentation compatibility

• Provide technical guidance and mentorship
• Contribute to planning and prioritization discussions
• Lead by example as a hands‑on builder

Required

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including work in complex, established codebases
• Strong proficiency in Java. The core platform is built on Java 25 and Jakarta EE (Servlets, Hibernate/JPA); this is not a Spring Boot environment.
• Strong SQL skills, including relational data modeling, schema design, and query optimization across databases such as Postgre
  
  SQL, MySQL, and Snowflake
• Proven experience operating at a senior or principal‑level
• Experience designing and operating production APIs and integration‑heavy, data‑pipeline systems
• Experience debugging cross‑system data issues and building reliable operational workflows
• Experience with AWS or similar cloud environments
• Comfortable working directly with scientists, executives, and non‑technical stakeholders to define and deliver practical solutions

Preferred

• Experience in biotech, data‑intensive, or scientific environments
• Familiarity with scientific platforms such as ELN, LIMS, inventory management, compound registration or assay/screening systems
• Exposure to machine learning or data science workflows
• Experience building internal tools or lightweight user‑facing applications
• Startup experience and comfort balancing speed with long‑term maintainability

• Industry‑competitive compensation
• Annual target bonus
• Stock options
• 401K plan
• Career advancement…