Senior Software Engineer; Platform & Instrument Control

Avery is a trailblazer in developing transformative technologies to solve the world’s most pressing biological and industrial challenges. We are building the world’s first fully automated genetic engineering platform—an end-to-end system that integrates novel semiconductor-based chips to scale the synthesis, assembly, and testing of genetic components in both cell-free and cellular environments. This unified platform bridges the digital and biological realms, enabling unprecedented speed and precision in bioengineering.

Our mission is to revolutionize industries—from drug discovery and precision medicine to advanced materials and sustainable agriculture—by unlocking the full potential of programmable biology.

If you're passionate about shaping the future of biotechnology and want to work at the cutting edge of science and engineering, we’d love to hear from you. Help us unlock and accelerate the engineering of life.

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to lead development of our .NET-based web platform while contributing to the software systems that directly control our synthetic biology instrumentation.

This role bridges cloud-connected web applications and real-time instrument control systems. The successful candidate will architect and implement secure, scalable web portals using ASP.NET Core, Razor, and Blazor, while also developing C#-based control software for hardware-integrated laboratory systems.

The ideal candidate combines strong full-stack .NET expertise with hands-on experience in instrumentation, automation, or hardware-integrated systems.

This role requires a proactive, hands-on approach and the ability to transform bold ideas into functional, high-quality software. A composed and professional demeanor is essential, along with the ability to remain focused, thoughtful, and effective under pressure.

• Architect and develop web portals using ASP.NET Core, Razor Pages, and/or Blazor (Server or Web Assembly).
• Design full-stack C# solutions across frontend and backend.
• Develop RESTful APIs and backend services using .NET Core.
• Build dashboards for experiment setup, workflow management, instrument monitoring, and biological data visualization.
• Implement authentication and authorization using ASP.NET Identity, OAuth2, or enterprise SSO.
• Design scalable database schemas for experiment tracking and scientific data management.
• Support Azure-based deployment and CI/CD pipelines.

• Design and develop C# software modules for direct instrument control.
• Implement communication layers for hardware interfaces (COM, I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, TCP/IP).
• Develop deterministic automation workflows translating laboratory protocols into software-controlled sequences.
• Implement multi-threaded and asynchronous systems for real-time control and monitoring.
• Integrate data acquisition systems with web-based monitoring platforms.
• Troubleshoot hardware-software integration issues at system and code levels.
• Ensure reliability, logging, fault tolerance, and traceability in high-throughput biological environments.

• 6+ years of professional software development experience.
• Strong expertise in C# and the .NET ecosystem.
• Experience building web applications using ASP.NET Core, Razor Pages, and/or Blazor.
• Experience developing software for hardware or instrumentation control systems.
• Strong understanding of multi-threading, async/await, concurrency, and performance optimization.
• Experience with relational databases and scientific data modeling.
• Hands-on experience integrating software with physical devices or embedded systems.
• Experience with Git, CI/CD, and modern development workflows.
• Experience in biotechnology, life sciences, laboratory automation, or medical device environments.
• Experience deploying .NET applications in Azure cloud environments.
• Experience with WPF or Win Forms for companion control interfaces.

• Language: C#
• Hardware Interface:
  Serial, TCP/IP, industrial communication protocols

A minimum of 6 years of software engineering experience with a M.S. degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field; or at least 10 years of experience with a B.S. degree in a related discipline.

• Under standard working conditions, this position is based in our San Diego, CA office.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• As a critical and essential role, the candidate must be willing and able to travel to the San Diego, CA office to report to work.