Software Engineer, Full Stack (Document Canvas)

Full Stack Engineer · Mid · Full Time

San Francisco, CAUSD 173k – 235k1w ago
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Role

What you'll do.

Join Benchling's Document Canvas team as a Full Stack Software Engineer to build the digital lab notebook that powers life sciences research for over 200,000 scientists globally. You'll own end-to-end projects across the full stack, designing backend APIs and creating intuitive frontend components while collaborating with product, design, and cross-functional teams. This role requires 5+ years of full stack development experience, strong React and JavaScript expertise, and a commitment to learning domain-specific knowledge in biotech and life sciences.

Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end large-scale projects: Take ownership of significant initiatives from ideation through cross-functional planning to final rollout to end-users. Drive project scope, timelines, and success metrics while working collaboratively with product managers, designers, and stakeholders to ensure alignment with company objectives and user needs.
  • Engineer across the full stack: Design and implement both backend services and models, developing robust APIs and database schemas, while simultaneously crafting rich, interactive frontend components using React. Bridge user-facing experiences with scalable backend infrastructure that handles complex scientific workflows and data operations.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Work closely with product managers to understand user requirements, coordinate with designers to implement intuitive interfaces, and engage with engineers across teams to ensure technical consistency and knowledge sharing. Participate in design reviews, architecture discussions, and product planning sessions.
  • Balance new product development with feature maturity: Contribute to building entirely new products and features while investing in taking existing products to feature completeness. Balance innovation with stability, ensuring both greenfield initiatives and mature codebases receive appropriate attention and technical investment.
  • Mentor and lead technical discussions: Serve as a core team member who mentors junior engineers, shares best practices, and leads architectural discussions. Champion technical excellence and help shape engineering standards both within the Document Canvas team and across the broader engineering organization.
  • Shape technical strategy and roadmap: Dive into the mature codebase, understand current architecture, and help define a north star technical vision. Build incremental roadmaps that drive toward long-term goals, balancing technical debt, new features, and scalability requirements for a platform serving hundreds of thousands of scientists.
  • Influence team culture and processes: Actively participate in shaping how the team works together, contributing to engineering practices, code review standards, and collaboration norms. Help establish processes that enable high velocity, quality, and team satisfaction while maintaining focus on building products that accelerate life sciences research.

Qualifications

What we look for.

Technical

  • React or equivalent JavaScript frontend frameworks

    Strong experience building interactive user interfaces with React or similar modern JavaScript frameworks. Proficiency in component architecture, state management, performance optimization, and building responsive web applications that serve thousands of concurrent users.

  • Backend API design and implementation

    Experience designing and implementing RESTful or GraphQL APIs with proper error handling, authentication, and scalability considerations. Ability to work with relational or document databases and design schemas that support complex scientific data workflows.

  • Software architecture and system design

    Understanding of architectural patterns, scalability considerations, and best practices for building maintainable systems. Experience evaluating trade-offs between different technical approaches and making decisions that balance short-term velocity with long-term maintainability.

  • Collaborative code quality practices

    Familiarity with code review processes, testing practices (unit, integration, end-to-end), and version control systems. Commitment to writing clear, maintainable code and helping raise code quality standards across the team through mentorship and technical leadership.

Education

  • Computer Science fundamentals

    Strong foundation in computer science principles including data structures, algorithms, and software design patterns. This can be acquired through formal education or through equivalent professional experience demonstrating mastery of core concepts.

  • Continuous learning commitment

    Demonstrated ability and genuine interest in learning new technologies, domains, and problem spaces. For this role specifically, enthusiasm for understanding life sciences research workflows and biotech domain knowledge is essential, even if no prior experience exists.

Experience

  • 5+ years full-time software engineering

    Demonstrate at least five years of professional software engineering experience building production systems at scale. This includes proven ability to architect solutions, make sound technical trade-offs, and deliver projects with business impact in real-world environments.

  • Full stack web application development

    Proven experience developing both user-facing frontend experiences and backend services for web applications. Demonstrate proficiency working across the entire technology stack, from database design through API development to interactive user interfaces.

  • Leadership of complex, long-term initiatives

    Track record of owning and delivering large, sophisticated projects that span multiple quarters or years. Show ability to break down complex initiatives into smaller iterative projects, manage scope creep, and maintain momentum across extended timelines while keeping stakeholders informed.

  • Product-focused engineering mindset

    Demonstrated commitment to shipping code quickly while maintaining focus on real-world impact and user value. Experience working in product-driven environments where engineering decisions are informed by user feedback and business objectives rather than purely technical considerations.

Skills

Required

  • React

    Production-level expertise building component-driven user interfaces with React, including hooks, state management patterns, and performance optimization techniques for large-scale applications.

  • JavaScript/TypeScript

    Proficient in JavaScript with TypeScript expertise preferred. Strong understanding of ES6+ features, async patterns, and modern JavaScript development practices for both frontend and backend applications.

  • Full stack architecture

    Ability to design and implement systems spanning frontend interfaces, backend services, databases, and APIs. Experience evaluating technology choices and trade-offs across layers of the technology stack.

  • Backend development

    Experience building scalable backend services, APIs, and databases. Proficiency with server-side frameworks, database design, and creating robust, well-documented APIs that frontend clients depend on.

  • Web application fundamentals

    Deep understanding of HTTP, REST APIs, web standards, browser APIs, and performance optimization. Knowledge of security best practices including authentication, authorization, and data protection in web applications.

  • Product thinking

    Mindset of understanding user needs, shipping with velocity while maintaining quality, and making technical decisions based on business impact and user value rather than purely technical elegance.

Preferred

  • Life sciences or biotech domain knowledge

    Nice to have

    Prior experience with scientific software, lab management systems, or biotech domain knowledge. Understanding of workflows in drug discovery, research lab operations, or scientific data management is valuable but not required with strong learning motivation.

  • GraphQL or advanced API design

    Nice to have

    Experience with GraphQL, API versioning strategies, or designing APIs that scale to support complex client applications. Understanding of real-time data requirements and WebSocket patterns is a plus.

  • Database optimization and scaling

    Nice to have

    Experience optimizing database performance, designing schemas for complex queries, and scaling relational or document databases to handle significant data volumes and concurrent users.

  • AI/ML integration in applications

    Nice to have

    Experience integrating machine learning models or AI agents into production applications. Understanding of prompt engineering, model evaluation, or building systems that leverage AI capabilities alongside traditional software.

  • Agile and collaborative development practices

    Nice to have

    Experience working in agile environments with strong practices around code review, testing, continuous integration, and cross-team collaboration in fast-moving organizations.

  • System design and scalability

    Nice to have

    Experience architecting systems to scale horizontally, implementing caching strategies, database indexing, and handling high-volume concurrent usage patterns typical of enterprise SaaS platforms.

Tech stack

Languages

JavaScriptTypeScriptSQL

Frameworks

ReactNode.jsExpress or similar backend frameworks

Databases

PostgreSQLDocument databases

Tools

Git/GitHubCI/CD pipelinesDocker or containerizationMonitoring and observability tools

Other

REST API designReal-time collaboration architectureData persistence and synchronizationAI integration and prompt engineering

Compensation

Pay and benefits.

Base·USD 173,369 – 234,557

Equity·Stock options

Benefits

  • Competitive equity package

    Meaningful stock options providing upside participation in Benchling's growth as a mission-driven life sciences software company serving some of the world's most innovative biotechnology organizations.

  • Comprehensive health insurance

    Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, reflecting Benchling's commitment to supporting the wellbeing of its team members.

  • Flexible hybrid work arrangement

    Work from home with flexibility, requiring presence on-site three days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) to enable collaboration while respecting work-life balance preferences.

  • Professional development budget

    Investment in continuous learning through conferences, courses, books, and training programs to support career growth and skill development in an evolving technology landscape.

  • Generous paid time off

    Comprehensive PTO policy enabling employees to take time for rest, personal projects, and life events while maintaining work-life integration in a demanding engineering role.

  • Collaborative team environment

    Work alongside talented engineers, product managers, and designers who are passionate about accelerating life sciences research and making meaningful global impact.

  • Mission-driven work

    Contribute to a platform trusted by over 200,000 scientists globally, including major biotechnology companies like Sanofi and Moderna, with the knowledge that your work directly impacts medical discoveries and innovation.

  • Mentorship and career growth

    Opportunities to mentor junior engineers, lead technical initiatives, and grow into more senior engineering roles while developing leadership capabilities within a rapidly scaling organization.

Process

Interview steps.

  1. 01

    Initial phone screen

    Preliminary conversation with a recruiter to discuss background, career goals, and general alignment with the role and team. This provides an opportunity to learn more about Benchling's mission and the Document Canvas team's work.

  2. 02

    Technical coding assessment

    Full stack technical evaluation assessing JavaScript/TypeScript proficiency, React component design, and backend API design capabilities. Expect questions on system architecture, data structures, and algorithm optimization reflecting real-world engineering challenges.

  3. 03

    AI fluency discussion or exercise

    As part of Benchling's core commitment to AI, candidates complete a brief AI-focused exercise or discussion demonstrating how they think about and use AI tools in their current workflow. This reflects Benchling's focus on building an AI scientist platform and may involve discussing AI integration patterns, prompt engineering, or AI-assisted development.

  4. 04

    Product and system design interview

    Deep dive into your approach to building scalable, user-focused products. Walk through how you would architect a feature for the digital lab notebook, considering backend APIs, frontend components, user experience, and system scalability for hundreds of thousands of scientists.

  5. 05

    Behavioral and cross-functional collaboration interview

    Discussion of past project experiences, collaboration styles, and approach to working across product, design, and other engineering teams. Prepare examples demonstrating ownership, mentorship, and ability to drive impact through technical leadership.

  6. 06

    Leadership and vision conversation

    Conversation with engineering leadership exploring your perspective on technical strategy, architectural decisions, and how you approach shaping the future of products and teams. Discuss your vision for improving scientific workflows and accelerating research.

Full posting

Original listing.

We are rebuilding biotech for the AI era.

When a breakthrough is delayed, the world waits. Getting a molecule from discovery to patients, or a crop from lab to field, involves thousands of slow, manual, disconnected steps. AI has the potential to change this, compressing decades of R&D work into years. But that only happens when clean, structured scientific data and AI are built into how science gets done.

Benchling is the AI platform for biotech R&D. Scientists use Benchling to design experiments, capture structured data, and run AI agents and models directly in their workflows. Over 200,000 scientists around the world trust Benchling to power their most important work, from academic labs to Sanofi, Moderna, and more than half of the world's top 50 biopharma.

We’re building an AI scientist for our customers. We can’t do that if we haven’t built the muscle ourselves. AI fluency is the foundation we build on; it's core to how we work, and we're committed to helping every new hire integrate it into their day-to-day. As part of our interview process, you'll complete a brief AI-focused exercise or discussion so we can understand how you think about and use AI to drive impact in your role. Feel free to reference any tools, platforms, or workflows you use today.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Benchling is seeking a Software Engineer to join our Document Canvas team, one of three teams that own Benchling’s widely-used Notebook product. At Benchling, we’re on a mission to accelerate the pace of life sciences research. To do that, we build a suite of tools that scientists use daily to solve humanity's most pressing problems. To achieve our mission, the Document Canvas team is focused on delivering a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly digital lab notebook that enables scientists to plan, document, and share their research seamlessly. As a member of this team, you'll play a key role in building intuitive interfaces, developing robust backend services, and ensuring our platform scales to meet the needs of scientists around the world. You'll collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other engineers to deliver a product that improves scientific workflows and empower groundbreaking discoveries.

Our team values technical excellence, a deep understanding of user needs, and a commitment to building products that make complex scientific work easier and more efficient. If you're excited about solving challenging technical problems that have a meaningful impact on global health and innovation, we’d love to hear from you.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Own large-scale projects end-to-end, from ideation with cross-functional partners, through to rollout to end-users.

  • Engineer across our stack, from designing and implementing backend models & APIs to crafting rich frontend components and architecture.

  • Collaborate closely with product managers, designers, and other teams to build the best product possible for our users.

  • Create entirely net-new products, while also investing in taking existing products to feature completeness.

  • Be a core team member, mentoring engineers on the team, while also leading technical & architectural discussions among engineers inside & outside the team.

  • Dive into a mature codebase, help shape a north star vision for technical investments and build an incremental roadmap to drive towards it.

  • Help shape the way we work together, while also participating in technical & architectural discussions among engineers inside & outside the team. 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • You have 5+ years of experience in a fulltime software engineering role.

  • Build software with a product-first approach. You ship code quickly and care about the real world impact of your code.

  • Experience developing both user-facing & backend experiences in a web application.

  • Experience with React, or similar javascript-based frontend application frameworks

  • Experience leading large, sophisticated, long-term initiatives, while also breaking down this work into smaller, iterative projects.

  • Enjoy a high-degree of ownership in key areas of the software product you’re building

  • Are interested in learning more about life science (prior knowledge is not required; desire to learn is a must).

  

HOW WE WORK

We offer a flexible hybrid work arrangement that prioritizes in-office collaboration. Employees are expected to be on-site 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday).

#LI-Hybrid

#BI-Hybrid

#LI-GP1

Benchling welcomes everyone.

We believe diversity enriches our team so we hire people with a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and experiences.

We are an equal opportunity employer. That means we don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

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