Director of Software Engineering - Data Platforms - #4919

Grailbio
Sunnyvale, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Aimed at senior engineering leaders with deep technical expertise in data platforms and AI, who can scale global teams and align with healthcare innovation.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 15+ years of software engineering experience and a track record of leading global teams
    — “15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in a dedicated engineering leadership role managing cross-functional, global teams.
  • Individuals skilled in cloud-native and big data technologies, particularly AWS and Snowflake
    — “Define the strategy for next-generation big data platforms utilizing Snowflake, Databricks, Apache Iceberg, AWS Glue, etc.
  • Candidates with a background in regulated data fields like genomics or healthcare
    — “Experience in high-volume, regulated data fields (e.g., genomics, healthcare, bioinformatics, or fintech)

Things to consider

  • The role requires managing large budgets and implementing cloud cost-optimization strategies
    — “Strong experience managing large operational budgets and implementing strategic cloud cost-optimization practices.
  • Candidates must ensure compliance with strict regulatory frameworks like HIPAA and GDPR
    — “Ensure all platforms strictly adhere to modern cybersecurity standards and regulatory compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience in leading Agile transformations and improving feature velocity
    — “Champion and mature Agile/Scrum methodologies to optimize feature velocity
  • Demonstrate hands-on experience with AI frameworks and semantic search technologies
    — “Hands-on architecture experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Large Language Model (LLM) frameworks
  • Showcase expertise in building secure, scalable RESTful APIs with Java / Spring Boot
    — “Oversee the development of high-throughput ETL pipelines and secure, scalable RESTful APIs built on Java / Spring Boot
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · CompanyLevel · Manager

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • lead engineering teams
  • deliver strategic product milestones
  • mature Agile methodologies
  • optimize cloud cost
  • ensure compliance
Typical background
15+ years of software engineering experience5+ years in engineering leadership role

Skills & requirements

Required

Software Engineering LeadershipCloud-native ArchitectureBig Data EcosystemsAI IntegrationAPI DevelopmentDevops PracticesSecurity Compliance

Preferred

Agile MethodologiesServerless ArchitecturesSnowflakeDatabricksLlm-enabled Product Features

Stack & domain

JavaSpring BootSpring MVCDistributed Systems DesignDatabase SystemsCloud-native EvolutionBig Data EcosystemsPerformance EngineeringAPI & System InteroperabilityDevops & SRE PracticesLeadershipMentoringStrategic PlanningCollaborationContinuous LearningNext-generation Sequencing (ngs)Population-scale Clinical StudiesAIData ScienceCybersecurityCloud Cost-optimization

About the role

Original posting from Grailbio via Lever

Our mission is to detect cancer early, when it can be cured. We are working to change the trajectory of cancer mortality and bring stakeholders together to adopt innovative, safe, and effective technologies that can transform cancer care.

We are a healthcare company, pioneering new technologies to advance early cancer detection. We have built a multi-disciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and physicians and we are using the power of next-generation sequencing (NGS), population-scale clinical studies, and state-of-the-art computer science and data science to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges.

GRAIL is headquartered in the bay area of California, with locations in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and the United Kingdom. It is supported by leading global investors and pharmaceutical, technology, and healthcare companies.

For more information, please visit grail.com

Responsibilities:

Engineering & Organizational Leadership

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Team Scaling & Culture: Lead, mentor, and scale a multi-disciplinary global engineering organization, fostering a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and technical excellence.

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Strategic Roadmap Delivery: Own the technical roadmap and resource allocation, ensuring 95%+ on-time execution of strategic product milestones.

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Agile Transformation: Champion and mature Agile/Scrum methodologies to optimize feature velocity, minimize product turnaround time, and maintain high software quality.

Strategic Technical Architecture & Data Innovation

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Cloud-Native Evolution: Architect, govern, and optimize the transition to modern serverless and microservices architectures on AWS, driving structural cost optimization and system elasticity.

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Big Data Ecosystems: Define the strategy for next-generation big data platforms utilizing Snowflake, Databricks, Apache Iceberg, AWS Glue, etc. to process, partition, and index petabyte-scale datasets.

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Performance Engineering: Oversee analytical and search data model optimizations to continually improve query performance and data pipeline throughput.

AI & Product Modernization

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AI-Driven Initiatives: Direct the integration of AI-assisted SDLC tools and architect LLM-enabled product features, including RAG-based semantic search and conversational search workflows.

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API & System Interoperability: Oversee the development of high-throughput ETL pipelines and secure, scalable RESTful APIs built on Java / Spring Boot to ensure global data interoperability.

Operational Excellence & Compliance

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DevOps & SRE Practices: Mature CI/CD automation pipelines using infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins) to automate provisioning and security patching.

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Security & Compliance: Ensure all platforms strictly adhere to modern cybersecurity standards and regulatory compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

Required Qualifications:

Leadership & Soft Skills

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15+ years of progressive experience in software engineering, with 5+ years in a dedicated engineering leadership role managing cross-functional, global teams.

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Proven ability to interface with executive stakeholders (Product, UX, Architecture) to align engineering outputs with business growth.

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Strong experience managing large operational budgets and implementing strategic cloud cost-optimization practices.

Technical Stack & Domain Expertise

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Backend & Architecture: Expert-level knowledge of Java, Spring Boot, Spring MVC, distributed systems design, database sharding, and high-performance microservices.

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Data & Analytics: Deep proficiency with Snowflake, Apache Iceberg, AWS Glue, Spark, and Elasticsearch.

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AI & Search: Hands-on architecture experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Large Language Model (LLM) frameworks, and semantic/conversational search.

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Cloud & DevOps: Strong expertise in AWS Cloud infrastructure, containerization, and IaC tools (Terraform, Ansible, Jenkins).

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Domain Interoperability: Experience in high-volume, regulated data fields (e.g., genomics, healthcare, bioinformatics, or fintech) and data standards (e.g., GA4GH) is highly desirable.

Education

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Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a highly related technical field preferred.

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Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent practical experience.

This role may be eligible for other forms of compensation, including an annual bonus and/or incentives, subject to the terms of the applicable plans and Company discretion. This range reflects a good-faith estimate of the range that the Company reasonably expects to pay for the position upon hire; the actual compensation offered may vary depending on factors such as the candidate’s qualifications. Employees in this role are also eligible for GRAIL’s comprehensive and competitive benefits package, offered in accordance with our applicable plans and policies. This package currently includes flexible time-off or vacation; a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match; medical, dental, and vision coverage; and carefully selected mindfulness programs.

GRAIL is an equal employment opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a workplace where every individual can thrive, contribute, and grow. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, , or any other class or characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. Additionally, GRAIL will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records in a manner consistent with applicable law and provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please contact us at rc@grailbio.com if you require an accommodation to apply for an open position.

GRAIL maintains a drug-free workplace. We welcome job-seekers from all backgrounds to join us!

Source: Grailbio careers (Lever)

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