Sr. Director/Director, Software Engineering - Early Cancer Detection (ECD)

Sr. Director/Director, Software Engineering - Early Cancer Detection (ECD)

Position Summary

Natera is at the forefront of personalized genetic testing, transforming the management of disease worldwide. We are at the cusp of a new inflection point with the development of the next generation of life-saving products in Early Cancer Detection (ECD).

We are seeking a seasoned and visionary Sr. Director/Director of Engineering to lead the software strategy and development for our Early Cancer Detection (ECD) portfolio. You will architect and build the technical foundation for a suite of software products designed to detect cancer earlier than ever before, acting as the technical bridge between cutting-edge R&D and a scalable, regulated commercial software platform.

This role requires a leader who thrives in a "Zero-to-One" environment, possessing the scrappiness of a startup founder combined with the rigor required for Software as a Medical Device (SaMD). You will establish an internal startup culture defined by high agency, urgency, and agile execution while ensuring strict adherence to regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Vision

•
Founder’s Mindset: Ability to thrive in ambiguity, drive decisions with incomplete information, and execute with high urgency.

•
Define and execute the multi-year engineering roadmap for the ECD business unit, balancing the need for rapid prototyping with long-term commercial stability.

•
Serve as the technical visionary for the ECD software suite, translating complex scientific and clinical requirements into robust, scalable software solutions.

Product Development & Execution

•
Lead the end-to-end "Zero-to-One" development of ECD software solutions, from sample ordering to reports back to clinicians.

•
User-Centered Focus: Passion for building software that solves real problems for users & customers.

•
Oversee the transition of research prototypes (e.g., CRC screening, MCED) into robust, commercial-grade software products.

•
Drive cross-functional execution with Product Management, R&D, and Lab Operations to ensure software solutions meet user needs and business goals.

•
Collaborate closely with Computational Biology and Bioinformatics teams to productionize complex algorithms into scalable clinical workflows.

•
Technical Agility: Proficiency with modern software development practices, including Agile/Scrum, CI/CD, and test-driven development.

•
Cross-Functional Communication: Ability to translate complex technical concepts for diverse stakeholders, including biologists, clinicians, and executives.

Regulatory & Quality Excellence

•
Partner with Quality and Regulatory teams to ensure all software complies with FDA (PMA/510k), IEC 62304, and ISO 13485 standards.

•
Serve as the engineering technical lead for regulatory submissions and audits, ensuring documentation and processes meet the highest standards of SaMD compliance.

•
Embed compliance and security into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) without compromising development velocity.

Team Building & Mentorship

•
Recruit, mentor, and retain a world-class team of Full-Stack, DevOps, and Data Engineers.

•
Foster an engineering culture of accountability, user-centered design, and continuous improvement.

•
Provide technical mentorship and career development coaching to engineering managers and technical leads.

Qualifications

•
10+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role (Director or above) within the HealthTech, MedTech, or Biotech space.

•
Proven track record of building "Zero-to-One" products, taking complex software from initial concept through clinical validation to commercial launch.
Deep experience in a highly regulated environment, with specific expertise in SaMD, FDA design controls, and HIPAA/GDPR compliance.

•
Strong technical background in cloud-native architectures (AWS), distributed systems, and handling large-scale genomic or clinical datasets.

•
BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (PhD is a plus).

Compensation & Total Rewards

This range reflects a good-faith estimate of the base pay we reasonably expect to offer at the time of hire. Final compensation will vary based on experience, qualifications, and internal equity considerations.

This position is also eligible for additional compensation and benefits through Natera’s robust Total Rewards program, including:

•
Annual performance incentive bonus

•
Long-term equity awards

•
Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision)

•
401(k) with company match

•
Generous paid time off and company holidays

•
Additional wellness and work-life benefits

Compensation Range
$259,600—$324,500 USD

OUR OPPORTUNITY

Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.

The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers and many other professionals from world-class institutions, who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you’ll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you’ll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.

WHAT WE OFFER

Competitive Benefits - Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!

For more information, visit www.natera.com.

Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents.

Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/

Please be advised that Natera will reach out to candidates with a @natera.com email domain ONLY. Email communications from all other domain names are not from Natera or its employees and are fraudulent. Natera does not request interviews via text messages and does not ask for personal information until a candidate has engaged with the company and has spoken to a recruiter and the hiring team. Natera takes cyber crimes seriously, and will collaborate with law enforcement authorities to prosecute any related cyber crimes.

For more information:
- BBB announcement on job scams
- FBI Cyber Crime resource page