Systems Software Engineer

Systems Software Engineer

Company: Picarro

Location: Santa Clara, CA

Education: Bachelor’s Degree Required

Position Overview

Picarro is seeking a Systems Software Engineer to design, develop, and maintain robust software systems that support scientific instrumentation and data-driven applications. This role requires strong software engineering fundamentals, experience building reliable and maintainable systems in Python and Linux environments, and a solid understanding of software development best practices.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working across system layers—from application logic to data processing—and can contribute to both software infrastructure and analytical workflows.

Key Responsibilities

Design, develop, and maintain systems-level software in Python

Build reliable, testable, and maintainable code using modern software engineering practices

Develop and maintain unit tests and automated test frameworks

Work in collaborative Agile development environments using Git-based workflows

Develop and optimize system components running on Linux-based platforms

Build and support data pipelines, tools, and internal software frameworks

Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams (hardware, systems, data, and science teams)

Support debugging, performance tuning, and system reliability improvements

Contribute to architecture decisions and software design reviews

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or related field

Strong proficiency in Python with experience building production-quality software

Solid understanding of Linux operating systems and command-line tools

Experience with collaborative software development (Git, code reviews, Agile workflows)

Strong understanding of software engineering best practices (modularity, testing, documentation)

Experience writing unit tests and building testable software systems

Technical Skills

Advanced Python programming

Strong experience with software development workflows (Git, branching, CI/CD concepts)

Unit testing frameworks (pytest or equivalent)

Linux system usage and scripting

Familiarity with modern Python libraries and constructs, including but not limited to

NumPy

Pydantic

asyncio

typing

pathlib

itertools

collections

Ability to design clean, maintainable, and reusable software components

Preferred Qualifications

Experience building or supporting scientific or instrumentation software systems

Exposure to data analysis, data modeling, or visualization workflows

Experience working in hardware-software integrated environments

Familiarity with performance optimization and debugging complex systems

Strong understanding of asynchronous programming concepts in Python

Experience contributing to shared software frameworks or platforms

The base salary range for this full-time position is $120K to $130K. Our total compensation packages include base salary, bonus eligibility, and equity. Your base salary range and title will be determined based on the location, experience, qualification, skills, knowledge, level, and pay of employees in similar positions.

We offer a comprehensive benefit package including

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) plans

Life, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance

Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays

Employee Referral Program

401K

Social events (summer picnic, holiday party, team lunches, etc.)

On-site Health & Wellness programs (fitness challenges, outdoor bootcamp, flu-shots, etc.)

About Picarro

We are the world's leader in timely, trusted, and actionable data using enhanced optical spectroscopy. Our solutions are used in a wide variety of applications, including natural gas leak detection, ethylene oxide emissions monitoring, semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, atmospheric science, air quality, greenhouse gas measurements, food safety, hydrology, ecology, and more. Our software and hardware are designed and manufactured in Santa Clara, California and are used in over 90 countries worldwide based on over 65 patents related to cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technology and are unparalleled in their precision, ease of use, and reliability.

At Picarro, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, protected veteran status, gender identity, social orientation, or disability. Posted positions are not open to third-party recruiters/agencies, and unsolicited resume submissions will be considered free referrals.

At Picarro, we strive to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, have equal opportunities. If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, please contact Picarro, Inc. at disabilityassistance@picarro.com for assistance.