Staff Software Engineer (Windows Instrumentation and Automation)

Location: Santa Barbara, California, or fully remote within the US; remote employees must collaborate with the Santa Barbara-based team with no more than a three-hour time difference and may travel to Santa Barbara up to twice per year.

Base salary: USD $107,100–$190,000 per year.

Company

hirify.global develops scientific instruments and analytical and diagnostic solutions for life science, materials research, microscopy, nanoanalysis, semiconductor applications, and related fields.

What you will do

• Architect, implement, debug, test, and deploy production software for automated scientific instruments and semiconductor metrology systems.
• Develop responsive, multithreaded Windows applications using C#, .NET, WPF, and modern C++/STL.
• Integrate software with precision motion, nano-positioning, vision, data acquisition, control, and automation subsystems.
• Design low-latency coordination between real-time hardware behavior and non-real-time workflows, data persistence, and interactive controls.
• Own architecture and integration of new capabilities into a mature product codebase through interfaces, layering, refactoring, and incremental delivery.
• Lead technical investigations, software integration, deployments, and cross-functional engineering work while remaining hands-on in production code.

Requirements

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience developing complex production systems.
• 3+ years of hands-on Windows application development using both C#/.NET/WPF and modern C++/STL.
• Strong object-oriented design, API design, debugging, and refactoring skills in a substantial existing codebase.
• Experience designing and debugging multithreaded, asynchronous, and performance-sensitive Windows software.
• Experience integrating software with hardware, instruments, robotics, automation equipment, or other physical systems with timing and reliability constraints.
• Experience building interactive desktop user interfaces and application, data, and device-control layers.
• Demonstrated architecture ownership and technical leadership across subsystem or product boundaries.
• Meaningful, regular production use of GitHub Copilot or comparable AI coding agents, with the ability to discuss examples across development activities and explain how correctness and maintainability are ensured.
• Ability to collaborate clearly with engineers and domain experts, communicate designs and risks, and lead technical work without direct authority.
• MS or PhD in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, or a related technical field is strongly preferred; a BS with significant relevant industry, instrumentation, or research experience will be considered.
• This is a Windows desktop, scientific instrumentation, and hardware-control role, not a web, mobile, or cloud application role; primarily web-focused experience does not meet the core requirements.
• Ability and willingness to work periodically in a Class 1000 cleanroom using full gowning protocol and laboratory-appropriate attire. When working onsite, ability to lift and move equipment weighing up to 30 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice to have

• Experience with C++/CLI, managed/native interoperability, or MFC in a production Windows codebase.
• Experience with scientific instrumentation, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, metrology, robotics, machine vision, motion control, nano-positioning, or automated test equipment.
• Experience with architectural layering across hardware interfaces, control logic, data processing, persistence, and desktop presentation layers.
• Familiarity with signal or image processing, pattern recognition, numerical methods, or scientific data analysis.
• Domain knowledge of atomic force microscopy, optical spectroscopy, surface metrology, physics, chemistry, or microbiology.
• Experience with Scrum or another Agile development approach and improving practical engineering processes.
• Effective use of both VS Code and Visual Studio in a Windows development environment.

Culture & Benefits

• Work in a cooperative, cross-functional environment with software developers, engineers, scientists, applications, systems, hardware, test, and manufacturing teams.
• Use VS Code and AI coding agents throughout design, implementation, testing, debugging, refactoring, and review, with rigorous technical judgment.
• Full-time employment with performance-related incentive eligibility and benefits including 401(k) with company match, employee stock purchase plan, medical and dental plans, insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance, vacation, sick time, and holidays.
• Remote employees may be required to visit Santa Barbara up to twice per year and comply with onsite cleanroom and equipment requirements during visits.