Lead Software Engineer - Instrument Control

Physical Electronics USA (PHI) is seeking a Lead Software Engineer - Instrument Control to own system architecture and provide technical direction for the software that controls PHI's advanced surface-analysis instruments. This senior individual contributor role combines hands-on software design and development with system-level architecture, cross-team leadership, mentoring, and direct validation on real instruments.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the architecture and technical strategy for an instrument-control platform, covering instrument control, automation, user interface, data acquisition, and data reduction.
• Conceptualize customer and user needs into concrete system designs and product behavior; evaluate feasibility, clarify incomplete requirements, document assumptions and tradeoffs, and drive cross-product alignment.
• Design, develop, test, document, install, and support software solutions for sophisticated scientific instrumentation while remaining hands-on with critical implementation and troubleshooting work.
• Establish and reinforce standards for design-first development, object-oriented analysis and design, code and component reuse, testing, reviews, documentation, and release readiness.
• Define testing strategies using SmartSoft simulation, integration testing, cross-testing, and real-system validation.
• Lead design and code reviews, evaluating technical alternatives, risks, long-term maintainability, performance, reliability, and the impact of decisions across systems and products.
• Diagnose complex software, hardware/software integration, and instrument-performance issues through systems analysis, testing, and collaboration with engineering, laboratory, manufacturing, service, and field teams.
• Drive effective collaboration with ULVAC-PHI teams, including requirements clarification, system-test scheduling, operator engagement, validation sessions, and incorporation of actionable feedback.
• Create and maintain system architecture documents, design specifications, test plans, and technical roadmaps.
• Lead system-level automation, workflow, and user-experience improvements that reduce manual steps and increase repeatability, reliability, and customer value.
• Mentor engineers across experience levels through design guidance, code review, and technical coaching.
• Lead major improvements to engineering processes, testing workflows, tools, infrastructure, and productivity; drive blameless post-mortems and ensure lessons are incorporated into standards and future designs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related scientific or engineering discipline.
• Five or more years of professional software-engineering experience, including substantial responsibility for complex instrument-control, automation, scientific, industrial, or hardware-integrated software.
• Demonstrated ability to define system architecture, lead development across releases, resolve system-level ambiguity, and influence technical decisions across teams.
• Strong software design and development skills, including object-oriented analysis, design patterns, modular architecture, reuse, testing, diagnostics, documentation, and maintainability.
• Experience translating customer requirements into designs and dependable product behavior, including evaluating feasibility, risk, interfaces, and long-term support needs.
• Experience with simulation, integration testing, system-level testing, troubleshooting, and validation on physical equipment or similarly complex systems.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adjust technical depth for engineers, testers, laboratory users, service personnel, operators, customers, and leadership.
• Demonstrated technical and interpersonal leadership: sound judgment, constructive influence, dependable follow-through, productive handling of disagreement, and a commitment to helping others grow.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing software for analytical instruments, semiconductor equipment, laboratory automation, robotics, motion control, data acquisition, vacuum systems, or other complex capital equipment.
• Experience collaborating with electrical, mechanical, systems, manufacturing, service, and international engineering teams.
• Experience creating system architecture documents, multi-release technical roadmaps, cross-team design standards, and post-mortem improvements with measurable results.
• Working knowledge of surface-analysis techniques or scientific-instrument workflows is helpful but not required.

Pay

The anticipated starting salary range for this position is $130,000 to $150,000 annually. The actual starting salary will be determined based on the selected candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, skills, and internal equity.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Disability and life insurance
• Other company-sponsored benefits and programs
• Eligibility for company profit sharing or other incentive compensation in accordance with applicable company plans

About the Company

PHI is a global leader in analytical instrumentation for the surface-analysis market. Our products integrate advanced digital and analog electronics, embedded systems, instrument-control and user-interface software, precision mechanical and electromechanical systems, high-voltage electron and ion optics, and automation. PHI instruments are used by leading research institutes, universities, and industrial laboratories worldwide.

• Shape the architecture and technical direction of software at the heart of PHI's world-class instruments.
• Stay hands-on while leading difficult system-level design, integration, and reliability work.
• Partner across disciplines and with global colleagues to turn complex requirements into dependable products.
• Make a visible impact on engineering quality, team capability, customer workflows, and long-term product direction.