Director, Software Engineering - Product Integration at Natera

Director, Software Engineering - Product Integration Position Summary Natera is at the forefront of personalized genetic testing, transforming the management of disease worldwide. As we scale our life-saving diagnostics, we are transforming our approach to software quality and reliability. We are seeking a seasoned and visionary Director of Engineering, Product Integration to lead a newly formed Product Integration team. You will pivot our strategy from traditional, late-stage configuration testing to a proactive, end-to-end integration function that de-risks our most complex "Pillar" projects (e.g., LCGP, Signatera IVD). This role requires a leader who is AI-native, hands-on, and high agency. You will not just manage a team; you will act as the "Integration Quarterback" for the engineering organization, defining the "Golden Paths" through our distributed architecture and driving an incremental, milestone-based validation strategy. You will live the ethos of agile, user-centered development, using modern tools to create massive leverage and ensure our software works seamlessly from order to report. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Vision • Transform Integration Strategy: Lead the transition from the legacy "PSPC" model to a modern, risk-based integration strategy. Define a vision where testing is not a bottleneck but a continuous, value-added activity embedded in the development lifecycle. • High Agency Execution: Champion a culture of urgency and ownership. Proactively identify integration risks during the design phase (shifting left) rather than waiting for code freeze. • AI-Native Leverage: Pioneer the use of AI and LLMs to revolutionize testing. Implement strategies to auto-generate test cases from PRDs, use AI for intelligent log analysis and root cause detection, and dramatically increase team throughput. Product Integration & Execution • The "Quarterback" Model: Serve as the integration lead for major company initiatives. Partner with Solution Architects to define "Integration Milestones" and extract iterative builds from component teams to validate workflows progressively. • End-to-End Ownership: Own the validation of critical business workflows across the full stack (Portal -> LIMS -> Lab Execution -> Bioinformatics -> Reporting). Ensure that the "Happy Path" is unbreakable and unhappy path supported. • User-Centered Validation: Go beyond spec compliance to verify the user experience. Ensure that the integrated system delivers the intended value to clinicians and patients, using realistic data that mirrors production complexity. • Environment Strategy: Act as the gatekeeper for the Staging/Integration environments. Enforce strict configuration management and version control to ensure our test beds accurately reflect Production reality. Team Building & Mentorship • Build a High-Performance Team: Recruit and mentor a new breed of "Integration Leads"—technical, code-savvy individuals who understand microservices architecture and business logic equally well. • Foster Innovation: Create an environment where the team is encouraged to experiment with new tools (e.g., chaos engineering, AI agents) to break the system before our users do. Qualifications • 10+ years of engineering experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles managing complex software integration, QA, or SDET teams. • Deep Technical Expertise: Strong background in testing distributed systems, microservices, and event-driven architectures (Kafka, AWS). You understand that "integration" means API contracts, data consistency, and system resilience. • Transformation Experience: Proven track record of turning around underperforming testing functions or building "Zero-to-One" quality organizations in a rapid-growth environment. • Regulated Industry Experience: Familiarity with healthcare standards (HIPAA, CLIA, FDA) is strongly preferred, but a demonstrated ability to bring rigor to complex regulated environments is essential. • BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • User-Centered: You obsess over the end-user experience. You understand that a passing API test is meaningless if the clinician can't view the report. • High Agency: You don't wait for permission to fix broken processes. You navigate ambiguity with confidence and drive cross-functional alignment. • Technical Fluency: Ability to go deep with architects on API schema design and equally deep with product managers on user journey mapping. 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 $171,400—$214,300 USDOUR 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: [Upgrade to PRO to see link] 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