Vice President, Laboratory Software Engineering

Natera is a global leader in cell-free DNA testing dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. The Vice President of Laboratory Software Engineering will be responsible for the strategy and modernization of informatics platforms that support laboratory operations and ensure regulatory compliance. This role involves leading a large organization, optimizing workflows, and executing a multi-year roadmap for enterprise informatics.

Responsibilities:

• Define and own the enterprise laboratory informatics strategy spanning sample accessioning, order management, sample tracking, and workflow orchestration across wet labs, dry labs, and downstream data consumers
• Lead the modernization of a predominantly homegrown informatics landscape, including architectural redesign, platform consolidation, and technology standardization
• Drive strategic build-vs-buy decisions, including vendor evaluation, platform selection, and long-term ownership models
• Establish and execute a multi-year roadmap that supports enterprise growth, new product introductions, and evolving regulatory expectations
• Ensure informatics platforms reliably support high-throughput, mission-critical laboratory operations across Oncology, Women’s Health, and Organ Health portfolios
• Partner closely with laboratory operations, product, R&D, quality, and regulatory teams to optimize workflows, increase automation, and reduce operational friction
• Enable rapid onboarding of new assays and laboratory workflows while maintaining system stability, data integrity, and compliance
• Define and track KPIs related to system performance, availability, throughput, and operational efficiency
• Lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing organization of approximately 200 professionals across laboratory applications engineering, workflow platforms, data systems, validation, and operations support
• Build strong leadership bench strength and succession plans across a geographically distributed organization
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement
• Evolve organizational structures and operating models toward enterprise platforms rather than siloed, business-unit–specific systems
• Ensure informatics platforms meet regulatory and quality requirements, including CLIA, CAP, HIPAA, FDA-regulated diagnostics (including LDTs), and applicable GxP standards
• Own or closely partner on Computer System Validation (CSV), audit readiness, change management, and system lifecycle governance
• Establish policies and controls to ensure data integrity, traceability, security, and privacy across the laboratory informatics ecosystem
• Serve as a senior informatics leader during regulatory inspections and audits
• Act as a key executive partner to laboratory leadership, product management, engineering, quality, regulatory, and commercial teams
• Translate complex scientific, operational, and regulatory needs into scalable informatics solutions
• Communicate platform strategy, risks, and tradeoffs clearly to executive leadership and other stakeholders
• Maintain strong relationships with laboratory users through regular engagement, including onsite interaction in San Carlos, CA and Austin, TX as needed

Requirements:

• 15+ years of progressive experience in laboratory informatics, enterprise software platforms, or large-scale systems supporting regulated, mission-critical environments
• Demonstrated success leading large, complex organizations (100+ people), preferably at the VP or equivalent senior leadership level
• Deep understanding of laboratory workflows, including sample accessioning, order and sample tracking, and wet-lab and dry-lab orchestration
• Proven experience modernizing legacy or homegrown platforms, including leading major architectural transformations and build-vs-buy decisions
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence across functions and communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience supporting CLIA- and CAP-certified clinical laboratories
• Familiarity with FDA-regulated diagnostics, LDTs, and regulatory submissions
• Hands-on experience with CSV, audit readiness, and regulated system lifecycle management
• Background in genomics, oncology diagnostics, or other high-throughput laboratory environments