Backend Software Engineer

About Ancestry:
When you join Ancestry, you join a human-centered company where every person’s story is important. Ancestry®, the global leader in family history, empowers journeys of personal discovery to enrich lives. With our unparalleled collection of more than 40 billion records, over 3 million subscribers and over 23 million people in our growing DNA network, customers can discover their family story and gain a new level of understanding about their lives. Over the past 40 years, we’ve built trusted relationships with millions of people who have chosen us as the platform for discovering, preserving and sharing the most important information about themselves and their families.
We are committed to our location flexible work approach, allowing you to choose to work in the nearest office, from your home, or a hybrid of both (subject to location restrictions and roles that are required to be in the office- see the full list of eligible US locations HERE). We will continue to hire and promote beyond the boundaries of our office locations, to enable broadened possibilities for employee diversity.
Together, we work every day to foster a work environment that's inclusive as well as diverse, and where our people can be themselves. Every idea and perspective is valued so that our products and services reflect the global and diverse clients we serve. 
Ancestry encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants. Passionate about dedicating your work to enriching people’s lives? Join the curious.

Ancestry is looking for a passionate, highly motivated, and exceptional Software Engineer to join our DNA Engineering team. This team plays a critical role in processing AncestryDNA data, using advanced algorithms to determine DNA matches, estimate genetic ethnicity, predict physical traits and more.

As a Software Engineer on the team, you will contribute to the development and enhancement of our DNA processing pipeline. Your work will include building new features that directly impact and enhance the AncestryDNA customer experience.

What you will do:

• Collaborate closely with bioinformaticians, DNA scientists, and fellow software engineers to translate cutting-edge research algorithms into robust, production-ready software.

• Design, build, and maintain scalable workflows using Nextflow to efficiently process large genomic datasets.

• Optimize the use of AWS services for high-performance computing, data storage, and cost-effective cloud infrastructure.

• Develop and deploy infrastructure-as-code solutions with Terraform, ensuring seamless cloud resource management and scalability.

•  Write clean, modular, and well-documented code, primarily in Python, with a focus on performance, scalability, and maintainability.

• Monitor, troubleshoot, and enhance workflow performance to ensure the reliable and efficient processing of genomic data in production environments.

• Participate in code reviews, best practice discussions, and continuous improvement initiatives to advance the team's tools and workflows.

• Stay up to date with emerging technologies in genomics and cloud infrastructure, incorporating innovative solutions as appropriate.

Who You Are:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, BioInformatics or a related field, or equivalent experience.

• 3+ years of development experience in one or more programming languages (Python preferred, but Java, JavaScript, or Ruby are considered a plus).

• 2+ years of experience with cloud computing services, with basic knowledge of common cloud design patterns (AWS experience is a plus).

• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC), ideally using Terraform.

• Knowledge of best practices in data security and privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) when handling sensitive datasets.

• Familiarity with agile software development methodologies.

• Experience deploying and scaling machine learning solutions in production environments using tools like AWS SageMaker is highly desirable.

• Experience in designing, automating, and managing complex data workflows using Nextflow for bioinformatics, genomics, or other data-intensive applications is a plus.

As a signatory of the ParityPledge in Support of Women and the ParityPledge in Support of People of Color, Ancestry values pay transparency and pay equity. We are pleased to share the base salary range for this position: $89,280 - $133,920 with eligibility for bonus, equity and comprehensive benefits including health, dental and vision. The actual salary will vary by geographic region and job experience. We will share detailed compensation data for a specific location during the recruiting process. Read more about our benefits HERE.

Additional Information:

Ancestry is an Equal Opportunity Employer that makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, military or veteran status, citizenship, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. In addition, Ancestry will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

All job offers are contingent on a background check screen that complies with applicable law. For San Francisco office candidates, pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Ancestry will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Ancestry is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Ancestry via-email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Ancestry. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Ancestry as a result of the referral or through other means.