GSK
Staff Application Engineer – Individual Contributor
Location(s): Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; San Francisco, CA
About the Onyx Research Data Tech organization The Onyx Research Data Tech organization is a major investment by GSK R&D and Digital & Tech. It delivers a step‑change in our ability to leverage data, knowledge, and prediction to find new medicines. We are a full‑stack shop focused on data engineering, infrastructure, DevOps, data/metadata/knowledge platforms, and AI/ML and analysis platforms. Our mission is to build a next‑generation data experience for GSK’s scientists, engineers, and decision‑makers, provide best‑in‑class AI/ML and data analysis environments for top‑tier talent, aggressively engineer data at scale, and implement scientific technology products that leverage the data and capabilities provisioning by Onyx.
Role Overview As a Staff Application Engineer, you are a highly experienced technical leader who delivers high‑impact engineering outcomes across multiple teams and products without formal people‑management responsibilities. You will take ambiguous, cross‑functional problems from concept to scalable solutions; drive architecture and systems design that meet Onyx’s standards for security, reliability, and performance; raise the quality bar for engineering excellence; and mentor engineers to level up their technical and operational capabilities. You own the operation of the applications you build, lead the resolution of complex incidents, and champion best practices in observability, testing, and automation. Your work directly increases the value we deliver to GSK’s scientific community.
Key Responsibilities
Lead architecture and systems design for full‑stack, data‑driven, loosely coupled cloud applications; balance speed, quality, and long‑term stability.
Turn poorly defined, high‑ambiguity problems into clear specifications and execution plans; deliver solutions with cross‑organizational impact and value.
Own end‑to‑end delivery of large, strategic engineering initiatives across collective boundaries; ensure alignment to agreed target architectures and standards.
Write high‑quality, well‑tested code and documentation; produce proposals, runbooks, and operational playbooks that enable clarity, maintenance, and scaling.
Champion operational excellence: design for reliability and security; implement comprehensive observability (metrics, logs, traces); ensure robust alerting and SLOs.
Operate and support production systems: participate in on‑call, lead incident resolution, perform root‑cause analysis, and drive durable follow‑ups that reduce risk.
Proactively refactor and simplify complex systems; repay technical debt with intent and measurable outcomes; improve performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
Develop APIs (REST/GraphQL/gRPC) and integration contracts that are resilient, secure, and well documented; advocate for consistent patterns across teams.
Collaborate closely with product, design, data science, compliance/risk, and platform teams to align architectural decisions with user needs and organizational strategy.
Mentor and sponsor engineers across teams (including senior engineers); raise coding standards, guide design choices, and help others navigate trade‑offs and delivery.
Elevate engineering practices across Onyx: standard‑bearer for code reviews, test automation, CI/CD, accessibility, performance, and security‑first design.
Use data to inform decisions; introduce monitoring where needed to improve product and operational outcomes; communicate risk clearly to non‑technical stakeholders.
Stay current with relevant technologies (cloud‑native services, data platforms, front‑end frameworks); bring strategic insights that shape area‑level technology direction.
Contribute to cross‑team initiatives that improve ways of working, incident management, support processes, and the overall quality bar for Onyx Application Engineering.
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience.
7+ years of experience delivering complex, production‑grade, cloud applications at scale.
Experience with backend languages and ecosystems (e.g., Python, Java, Scala, JavaScript/Node.js), including documentation, testing, observability, and operations.
Proficiency in front‑end technologies: JavaScript/TypeScript with React.js, Angular, or similar frameworks.
Experience designing and building APIs (REST/GraphQL/gRPC); solid understanding of integration patterns and interoperability.
Cloud experience deploying in environments like Google Cloud (preferred), AWS, or Azure; hands‑on with cloud‑native services and infrastructure‑as‑code patterns.
Experience with authentication and authorization mechanisms (e.g., OAuth2, OIDC); security‑first mindset throughout the SDLC.
Experience with modern SDLC and DevOps tooling: git/GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, containerization/orchestration, metrics/monitoring (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry).
Experience with agile software development and common environments such as Jira and Confluence.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree or higher in Computer Science or related field.
Experience leading large, strategic, complex engineering projects across multiple teams or collectives.
Knowledge of database modelling, relational and non‑relational data concepts, and SQL; performance tuning and data lifecycle management at scale.
Experience with data visualization frameworks (e.g., D3.js, Plotly, Matplotlib) and building scientific data experiences.
Evidence of embedding operational excellence (runbooks, on‑call discipline, SLOs, post‑incident learning) across teams.
Familiarity with regulated environments and collaboration with compliance/security functions.
Demonstrated ability to lead architectural designs for complex systems, drive cross‑team solutions, and deliver measurable improvements in reliability, performance, and scalability.
Proven ability to debug and resolve complex production issues under pressure; leads incident resolution and drives durable prevention.
Excellent communication skills (verbal and written); can articulate technical risk and decisions to technical and non‑technical stakeholders; collaborates effectively across disciplines.
Track record of mentoring engineers and elevating team standards and ways of working.
Benefits & Compensation If you are based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA, the annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $170,775 to $284,625. The U.S. salary ranges reflect work location, candidate skills, experience, education, and market rates. This role also offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in GSK’s share‑based long‑term incentive program, along with health care, retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave. Salary information not displayed for specific countries will be discussed during recruitment.
Why GSK? GSK is a global biopharma company dedicated to uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade and create an environment where our people can thrive. GSK’s culture is ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing.
Equal Opportunity Employer GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any basis prohibited by law.
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Location(s): Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; San Francisco, CA
About the Onyx Research Data Tech organization The Onyx Research Data Tech organization is a major investment by GSK R&D and Digital & Tech. It delivers a step‑change in our ability to leverage data, knowledge, and prediction to find new medicines. We are a full‑stack shop focused on data engineering, infrastructure, DevOps, data/metadata/knowledge platforms, and AI/ML and analysis platforms. Our mission is to build a next‑generation data experience for GSK’s scientists, engineers, and decision‑makers, provide best‑in‑class AI/ML and data analysis environments for top‑tier talent, aggressively engineer data at scale, and implement scientific technology products that leverage the data and capabilities provisioning by Onyx.
Role Overview As a Staff Application Engineer, you are a highly experienced technical leader who delivers high‑impact engineering outcomes across multiple teams and products without formal people‑management responsibilities. You will take ambiguous, cross‑functional problems from concept to scalable solutions; drive architecture and systems design that meet Onyx’s standards for security, reliability, and performance; raise the quality bar for engineering excellence; and mentor engineers to level up their technical and operational capabilities. You own the operation of the applications you build, lead the resolution of complex incidents, and champion best practices in observability, testing, and automation. Your work directly increases the value we deliver to GSK’s scientific community.
Key Responsibilities
Lead architecture and systems design for full‑stack, data‑driven, loosely coupled cloud applications; balance speed, quality, and long‑term stability.
Turn poorly defined, high‑ambiguity problems into clear specifications and execution plans; deliver solutions with cross‑organizational impact and value.
Own end‑to‑end delivery of large, strategic engineering initiatives across collective boundaries; ensure alignment to agreed target architectures and standards.
Write high‑quality, well‑tested code and documentation; produce proposals, runbooks, and operational playbooks that enable clarity, maintenance, and scaling.
Champion operational excellence: design for reliability and security; implement comprehensive observability (metrics, logs, traces); ensure robust alerting and SLOs.
Operate and support production systems: participate in on‑call, lead incident resolution, perform root‑cause analysis, and drive durable follow‑ups that reduce risk.
Proactively refactor and simplify complex systems; repay technical debt with intent and measurable outcomes; improve performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.
Develop APIs (REST/GraphQL/gRPC) and integration contracts that are resilient, secure, and well documented; advocate for consistent patterns across teams.
Collaborate closely with product, design, data science, compliance/risk, and platform teams to align architectural decisions with user needs and organizational strategy.
Mentor and sponsor engineers across teams (including senior engineers); raise coding standards, guide design choices, and help others navigate trade‑offs and delivery.
Elevate engineering practices across Onyx: standard‑bearer for code reviews, test automation, CI/CD, accessibility, performance, and security‑first design.
Use data to inform decisions; introduce monitoring where needed to improve product and operational outcomes; communicate risk clearly to non‑technical stakeholders.
Stay current with relevant technologies (cloud‑native services, data platforms, front‑end frameworks); bring strategic insights that shape area‑level technology direction.
Contribute to cross‑team initiatives that improve ways of working, incident management, support processes, and the overall quality bar for Onyx Application Engineering.
Basic Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience.
7+ years of experience delivering complex, production‑grade, cloud applications at scale.
Experience with backend languages and ecosystems (e.g., Python, Java, Scala, JavaScript/Node.js), including documentation, testing, observability, and operations.
Proficiency in front‑end technologies: JavaScript/TypeScript with React.js, Angular, or similar frameworks.
Experience designing and building APIs (REST/GraphQL/gRPC); solid understanding of integration patterns and interoperability.
Cloud experience deploying in environments like Google Cloud (preferred), AWS, or Azure; hands‑on with cloud‑native services and infrastructure‑as‑code patterns.
Experience with authentication and authorization mechanisms (e.g., OAuth2, OIDC); security‑first mindset throughout the SDLC.
Experience with modern SDLC and DevOps tooling: git/GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, containerization/orchestration, metrics/monitoring (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry).
Experience with agile software development and common environments such as Jira and Confluence.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree or higher in Computer Science or related field.
Experience leading large, strategic, complex engineering projects across multiple teams or collectives.
Knowledge of database modelling, relational and non‑relational data concepts, and SQL; performance tuning and data lifecycle management at scale.
Experience with data visualization frameworks (e.g., D3.js, Plotly, Matplotlib) and building scientific data experiences.
Evidence of embedding operational excellence (runbooks, on‑call discipline, SLOs, post‑incident learning) across teams.
Familiarity with regulated environments and collaboration with compliance/security functions.
Demonstrated ability to lead architectural designs for complex systems, drive cross‑team solutions, and deliver measurable improvements in reliability, performance, and scalability.
Proven ability to debug and resolve complex production issues under pressure; leads incident resolution and drives durable prevention.
Excellent communication skills (verbal and written); can articulate technical risk and decisions to technical and non‑technical stakeholders; collaborates effectively across disciplines.
Track record of mentoring engineers and elevating team standards and ways of working.
Benefits & Compensation If you are based in Cambridge, MA; Waltham, MA; Rockville, MD; or San Francisco, CA, the annual base salary for new hires in this position ranges $170,775 to $284,625. The U.S. salary ranges reflect work location, candidate skills, experience, education, and market rates. This role also offers an annual bonus and eligibility to participate in GSK’s share‑based long‑term incentive program, along with health care, retirement benefits, paid holidays, vacation, and paid caregiver/parental and medical leave. Salary information not displayed for specific countries will be discussed during recruitment.
Why GSK? GSK is a global biopharma company dedicated to uniting science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade and create an environment where our people can thrive. GSK’s culture is ambitious for patients, accountable for impact, and committed to doing the right thing.
Equal Opportunity Employer GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, military service, or any basis prohibited by law.
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