Title: Software Architect

Position Summary

The Software Architect is a key member of the Engineering group, reporting directly to the Vice President of Product Development. This person has key technical responsibility for the software architecture and design of current and new product systems for Northstar Neuroscience. The individual leads the technical efforts to conceptualize, design, develop and introduce new product software, innovating through design while delivering high quality software engineering solutions.
The Software Architect is responsible for keeping abreast of the current state of the art, and of emerging technologies and practices applicable to Northstar’s product software. The individual advises the Vice President of Product Development regarding the software technology roadmap.

Position Responsibilities/Accountabilities

• Technical responsibility for the system architecture and design approaches for current and new product software.
• Creating a vision for, and defining, the system software architecture for cortical stimulation device systems.
• Particiption on a multi-diciplinary engineering team to collaboratively conceptualize and define the device and device subsystem architectures that comprise the cortical stimulation system.
• Responsible for the software architecture and safety concept for the product system.
• Responsible for the implementation of the product system’s safety concept by utlizing suitable safety approaches for software for individual devices.
• Overall responsibility for design decomposition and traceability from product needs to software requirements specifications and designs, as well as integration of software designs into subsystems, devices and complete device systems.
• Ensuring complete and accurate translation of product needs into software specifications and ultimately into software designs.
• Championing the product concept captured in the detailed design throughout the implementation process, providing guidance and review of implementation trade-offs.
• Ensuring that requirements and design changes are fully assessed for their impact on the system design, and that feature trade-offs are understood in the context of the entire system.
• Working with Project Leaders to create requirements specifications for cortical stimulation device system software.
• Knowledge of design and safety standards and regulations; responsible for incorporating them into software specifications and designs.
• Collaborating with key team members to ensure traceability from product needs and requirement specifications to validation and verification plans and protocols.
• Participating in and performing top-down and bottom-up risk management activities at the software, device and system levels.
• Assisting in the mentoring and the development of members of the software engineering team through a hands-on approach and active participation in design reviews.
• Providing input on ways to streamline the software development and risk management process while at the same time improving product quality.
• Keeping abreast of the current state of the art, and of emerging technologies applicable to Northstar’s device systems.
• Advising the Vice President of Product Development regarding the technology roadmap.
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested.

The Person

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering (or equivalent), Masters Degree preferred
• 10+ years experience in the design of software for medical device systems
• Intelligent, motivated, disciplined, focused, well organized.
• Has taken medical device software projects from inception to commercial deployment.
• Is capable of seeing the “big picture” and looking at a problem holistically, while at the same time being comfortable diving deep into details when appropriate.
• Experienced in, knowledgeable of, and/or has familiarity with the majority of the following areas:
  • Design control, especially as it applies to software development
  • Human Factors / Use Errors / sensitivity to the user's point of view
  • Reliability concepts
  • Standards for Medical Device design and safety
  • Software-based User Interfaces
  • Electrical / Software interfaces
  • Hardware / Software design tradeoffs
  • Software requirements elicitation
  • Software design review
  • Software Risk Management Techniques
  • Software Unit Testing, Module Testing, Integration Testing
  • Software configuration management
  • Manufacturing processes, including challenges/opportunities in manufacturing test
  • Software verification and validation
• Has demonstrated the ability to provide technical guidance and direction in multiple tasks for software engineers at a variety of levels of experience.
• Has good teamwork skills, and is capable of leading a diverse group of software engineers.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Positive attitude; a good sense of humor is a plus.

Northstar Neuroscience offers a fun work environment, competitive salary and benefits package including 401k, stock options, free bus pass, and PTO. To apply, please send your resume and a cover letter to the contact information below. Please refer to posting #7015 when applying for this position.

Northstar Neuroscience, Inc.
Reference Job Code: # 7015
Attn: Human Resources
2401 4th Avenue, Suite 300
Seattle, WA 98121
Email: jobs@northstarneuro.com
Northstar Neuroscience, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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