Director, Research Engineering

OverviewJob DescriptionSalary: $204,000 - $252,000 per annumCompany: Borealis BiosciencesBorealis focuses on RNA therapeutics to address kidney diseases and related science. Borealis builds on the success of Chinook Therapeutics, a kidney disease company with a Vancouver research site acquired by Novartis in 2023. The Borealis team has leadership and academic advisors with deep experience in kidney disease and RNA therapeutics. Headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Borealis operates wet labs for molecular and cellular biology, in vivo pharmacology, chemistry, DMPK, bioinformatics, and analytical sciences.We are a creative and innovative team focused on helping patients and advancing science. For more information, Borealis sites are: and /company/borealis-biosciences-inc. We seek applicants from all backgrounds to ensure we get the best talent. We are building a diverse and inclusive workforce; candidates with non-traditional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.PositionThe Director, Research Engineering is a service-oriented, forward-thinking team leader who oversees the design and development of scalable, cloud-based data and knowledge management solutions across the Research organization. This role is part of Translational Systems Biology and Data Sciences (TSBDS) and will identify and support LLM-based solutions to drive scientific advancements in drug discovery and development. The Director oversees the Research Engineering team and collaborates with subject matter experts across Research and IT to align architectural design, resourcing, product development and delivery with business objectives, scientific needs, and technical best practices. Experience with LLM technologies will be crucial for developing innovative solutions and driving experimentation in research and drug development. Reports to the Executive Director, Translational Systems Biology & Data Science (TSBDS).ResponsibilitiesLead and oversee work within the TSBDS team and collaborate with functional and IT teams to ensure architectural design, resourcing, product development and delivery align with business objectives, scientific needs, and technical best practicesDrive architectural decision-making via workshops and brainstorming sessions to solve end-use requirements and use casesDevelop strategic architectural roadmaps and guidelines for engineers and developersChoose technologies for new solutions and ensure integration with enterprise infrastructureMerge technical infrastructure where needed, defining consistent back end and front-end technologiesOwn the early robust build phase of prototypes and lead the transition to iterative development and maintenanceExplore and pilot new LLM technologies to assess their potential integration into existing architectureProvide thought leadership on emerging LLM and AI models and drive experimentation for Borealis use casesPerform risk assessments on cloud architectures to identify cost, scalability, and infrastructure management concernsPropose opportunities for enhanced operational support of infrastructure through cloud monitoring and testing suitesMap use cases to leverage existing capabilities and define solutions for new capabilitiesLocationRemote work within the US or Canada, with a preference for candidates in the Greater Vancouver or Greater Seattle areaEducation, Experience, and SkillsMaster's or PhD with a technology focus (IT, Computer Science, or related) or a scientific focus (Biology, Chemistry, or related) with at least 15 years of programming and architecture experience in Biotech/PharmaCombined 10+ years of experience with AWS and/or LIMS platform management (Dotmatics, Benchling, Genedata, etc.)5+ years of leadership experienceProven track record of successfully managing technical projects and leading cross-functional teamsAdvanced proficiency with Python, SQL, R, database design, and at least one front-end development framework (React, Angular, Streamlit, or similar)Experience building and maintaining cloud-based applications using core AWS services (IAM, S3, Athena, Lambda, Fargate, Bedrock, OpenSearch, etc.)Experience building or enhancing a laboratory informatics system (LIMS) in a research or drug development contextExperience in large-scale scientific systems design and integration patternsExperience working with LLM capabilities including models, RAG approaches, agentic frameworks, and LLM testing frameworksAbility to deliver performance evaluations, benchmarking, and troubleshooting of AI or LLM-based applicationsExcellent communication skills and experience translating solution architecture requirements for technical product designersAbility to multitask in a fast-paced research and technical environmentDemonstrated independent thinking and commitment to advancing science for patient benefitExperience with predictive modeling and preparing data for predictive modelingExperience analyzing large public or proprietary biological datasets including transcriptomic and proteomic dataExperience developing user applications in frameworks like Shiny, React, etc. is a plusExperience with therapeutic oligonucleotides (ASO, siRNAs)CompensationThe annual salary range is $204,000 - $252,000. Borealis Biosciences provides competitive benefits including retirement matching, extended medical, dental, vision, and a Wellness/Health Spending Account. Actual base salary and title/level will be determined based on qualifications.Equal OpportunityBorealis is an Equal Opportunity Employer; we prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. We are committed to fostering an environment where ALL people are welcome and supported. We cultivate a culture of openness, creativity, and mutual respect that enables us to be a better team and drive innovation.remote work #J-18808-Ljbffr

Created: 2025-09-17