Principal Software Architect – Instrument Intelligence Platform

Location: California (Preferred) | Open to Anywhere in the U.S.
Employment Type: Contract
Work Model: Remote / Hybrid
Reports To: Senior Manager, DevOps & AI Enablement

Note: We are seeking candidates who are currently based in the United States. Candidates located in California are strongly preferred.

About the Role

Bio-Rad is seeking an experienced Principal Software Architect to lead the technical vision and architecture for our Instrument Intelligence Platform, which includes BRiCare, BR.io, and Unity Next. This is a high-impact, hands-on architecture leadership role responsible for driving modernization initiatives, defining enterprise architecture standards, leading cloud transformation, and mentoring senior engineering teams.

The ideal candidate combines deep software architecture expertise with strong experience in enterprise platforms, cloud migration, distributed systems, and modern application development. You will work closely with Engineering, Product Management, DevOps, Security, Compliance, and Executive Leadership to shape the next generation of Bio-Rad''s connected instrument ecosystem.

About the Instrument Intelligence Platform

Bio-Rad''s Instrument Intelligence Platform unifies our connected instrument ecosystem by integrating data, service, monitoring, and analytics across multiple products.

BRiCare

Provides secure remote monitoring and consent-based field support for clinical diagnostic instruments through a proprietary BHFTP/ISL infrastructure.

BR.io

A cloud-native SaaS platform supporting experiment design, instrument fleet management, protocol synchronization, automatic data management, and scientific workflow automation.

Unity Next

An industry-leading clinical quality control platform supporting Westgard QC rules, LIS/HL7 integrations through Unity Connect, and peer benchmarking across 38,000+ laboratories processing over 65 million QC results every month.

Together these platforms support the complete instrument lifecycle—from installation and monitoring to quality control, analytics, and field service.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Architecture & Platform Strategy

• Own and evolve the architecture across BRiCare, BR.io, and Unity Next.
• Define long-term technology strategy, modernization roadmaps, and architectural standards.
• Create and maintain Architecture Decision Records (ADRs), High-Level Designs (HLDs), Low-Level Designs (LLDs), and API/interface specifications.
• Establish enterprise integration standards, security architecture, and platform governance.
• Partner with executive leadership, product teams, compliance, and engineering organizations to communicate architectural direction.

Modernization & Cloud Transformation

• Lead modernization of BRiCare from ASP.NET MVC 5 + AngularJS to React 19, Vite, Redux Toolkit, and MSAL.
• Architect new REST APIs and modern service layers.
• Lead Azure-to-AWS migration strategy and cloud architecture.
• Define BR.io''s cloud-native evolution including instrument fleet APIs, protocol management, and imaging integrations.
• Drive Unity Next modernization including cloud deployment strategy, scalable analytics, audit capabilities, and regulatory compliance.

Instrument & Integration Architecture

• Guide architecture for on-instrument Windows applications, services, and plugin frameworks.
• Define architecture for remote monitoring, software update mechanisms, and proprietary communication protocols.
• Lead integration architecture with Salesforce ServiceMax, Unity Connect, and LIS/HL7 middleware.
• Ensure compatibility across legacy and modern application components.

DevOps, Security & Platform Engineering

• Establish enterprise CI/CD standards for .NET, React, and Node.js applications.
• Design scalable build and deployment pipelines.
• Define enterprise security architecture including:
  • TLS 1.2+
  • Azure Key Vault
  • Code Signing
  • Secrets Management
  • Encryption Standards
  • Zero-PII Telemetry
• Govern SQL Server architecture, database standards, and application security.
• Mentor senior engineers and lead architecture and code reviews across multiple engineering teams.

Required Qualifications

• 12+ years of software engineering experience.
• 4+ years serving as a Principal Engineer, Software Architect, or equivalent technical leadership role.
• Experience architecting enterprise platforms in Life Sciences, Medical Devices, Healthcare, or Industrial IoT.
• Strong expertise in:
  • C++
  • C#
  • Windows Services
  • .NET Framework
  • ASP.NET MVC
  • Web API
  • WCF
  • Node.js
  • React
• Experience designing secure authentication using Azure AD, MSAL, OAuth/JWT, Windows Authentication, and Forms Authentication.
• Strong SQL Server architecture and database design experience.
• Experience designing custom communication protocols or distributed network systems.
• Deep Azure architecture experience and cloud migration planning.
• Experience implementing enterprise security best practices.
• Strong CI/CD architecture experience.
• PowerShell automation, IIS administration, and SSL/TLS certificate management.
• Excellent communication and technical leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Large-scale AngularJS to React migration experience.
• AWS architecture (ECS, Lambda, IAM, RDS).
• Healthcare interoperability standards including HL7, ASTM, and FHIR.
• Clinical Quality Control platforms and regulatory frameworks:
  • Westgard Rules
  • CLIA
  • CAP
  • ISO 15189
• Salesforce ServiceMax integration.
• Remote support technologies such as ISL or TeamViewer.
• Legacy desktop technologies including WinForms, WPF, and VB6 modernization.
• Experience supporting mixed x64/.NET 4.8 and x86/.NET 2.0 applications.
• Redis and distributed caching.
• GIS or mapping frameworks.
• Master''s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline.

Technology Stack

Why Join Bio-Rad?

• Architect mission-critical software used by laboratories and researchers in 100+ countries.
• Lead enterprise-wide modernization initiatives, including cloud transformation and platform modernization.
• Influence technical strategy across multiple global product platforms.
• Collaborate with Bio-Rad''s DevOps & AI Enablement organization leveraging modern AI-assisted engineering practices.
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and flexible remote/hybrid work options.

Ideal Candidate Profile

We are looking for a U.S.-based Principal Software Architect with extensive experience designing enterprise-scale platforms in healthcare, medical devices, life sciences, or industrial IoT. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with deep expertise in modernizing legacy applications, cloud architecture, distributed systems, security, and mentoring engineering teams. Candidates located in California are strongly preferred.