About the Opportunity

Driscoll’s is on a journey to modernize the digital infrastructure supporting our global berry breeding and R&D operations. At the heart of this transformation is the Genomic Sciences Platform (GSP), a next-generation data and analytics ecosystem designed to enable predictive breeding and genomic insights at scale. We’re looking for a hands-on, full-stack developer to design, modernize, and deliver applications that empower scientists, breeders, and analysts across Driscoll’s R&D. You’ll take ownership of critical tools that manage samples and workflows - modernizing legacy systems, integrating them with new data services, and building intuitive, performant apps that turn scientific data into action. This is a highly visible, high-impact role, ideal for a developer who loves solving complex problems, shaping product direction, and leaving tools and systems cleaner than they found them. This is a unique opportunity to join an emerging R&D IT function embedded within Driscoll’s Global R&D organization, while partnering closely with the established Global Information Services (IS) team. You will work at the intersection of science and technology, engaging stakeholders from breeding, lab, genotyping, data science, and IT; to shape requirements, evaluate solutions, and ensure our digital investments deliver on scientific and business outcomes. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in early-stage discovery, can translate complex scientific workflows into technical solutions, and wants to help build something transformational from the ground up.

Driscoll’s Information Services (IS) department is responsible for maintaining and developing digital services and solutions to support and enable the Driscoll’s business, growers and customers. Global IS operates in a rapid changing business environment that embarked on a significant digital transformation journey.

The Global Information Services (IS) function operates through a global structure and is organized in departments by IT expertise. This role is located at our corporate headquarters in Watsonville, CA.

 

Responsibilities

• Obtain a deep understanding of relevant business area(s) and business processes to be able to recommend solutions and build high-quality requirements.

• Act as technical owner for multiple R&D applications — understand current architecture, codebases, and user pain points; modernize, refactor, and evolve them for scalability and maintainability.

• Translate scientific workflows and user requirements into elegant, performant, full-stack solutions.

• Build new modules and interfaces that integrate data products from the GSP.

• Develop APIs, backend services, and web interfaces using modern frameworks (e.g., Node.js, Python/FastAPI, React, TypeScript).

• Collaborate closely with the R&D BSA, Data Engineers, and Architects to ensure alignment of UX, data flow, and platform standards.

• Maintain CI/CD pipelines, automated tests, and code quality; proactively monitor performance and reliability.

• Bring your non-IT customers in, and mentor junior developers and set coding standards for R&D IT’s engineering best practices.

• Champion end-to-end quality, from database schema design to UI/UX, ensuring our scientists have delightful, fast, and reliable tools.

• Effectively prioritize and self-manage a multi-project workload in a fast-paced environment.

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and written, with business and technical teams

• Domestic and international travel required up to 10%.

• Represents Driscoll’s in an ethical and professional manner during all interactions with growers, co-workers, suppliers, customers, and the business community at large.

• Ensure the security of Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials.

   

Candidate Profile

•   5+ years of professional software development experience, with strong full-stack expertise (front-end, back-end, and database).
•   Deep proficiency in React, Python, and SQL.
•   Proven track record of modernizing legacy systems (refactoring monoliths, migrating tech stacks, introducing APIs/microservices).
•   Hands-on experience building REST/GraphQL APIs, integrating with data platforms, and managing cloud deployments (Azure/AWS/Oracle preferred).
•   Strong understanding of data models, authentication/authorization, and secure application design.
•   Excellent communication skills - able to work directly with scientists, product leads, and IT stakeholders to define and deliver solutions.
•   Strong experience with Microsoft product suite, including Visio, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams and SharePoint required.
•   Travel and after-hours support required.

Preferred Qualifications

•   Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions, and effectively present findings and recommendations to management.
•   Demonstrated experience leveraging AI/ML tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, AutoML) to accelerate data pipeline development, system integration, and exploratory analysis in scientific or R&D environments.
•   Experience in both in-house development solutions and implementation of vendor delivered applications preferred.
•   Experience with scientific data systems or similar R&D/lab environments.
•   Familiarity with CI/CD, containerization (Docker), and infrastructure-as-code.
•   Exposure to data visualization, dashboards, or low-code tools for rapid prototyping.
•   Comfort balancing agility and rigor - able to ship features quickly while maintaining enterprise-grade quality.
•   Background in life sciences, ag-biotech, or high-throughput lab/omics data.
•   A valid passport and the ability to travel internationally without restrictions.

 
Compensation & Benefits

The following information is provided in good faith as a general description of the salary range and benefits for the position posted.  The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate is dependent upon experience, skills, education, work location, internal pay equity, and other objective job-related factors. 

Salary Range estimated for the Full Stack Developer, R&D IT: $86,320.00/year to $150,000.00/year. 

Driscoll’s is committed to a culture of care and offers an attractive benefits package that varies between our locations. Benefits may include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and disability coverage for positions working more than 30 hours per week (US). Other benefits may include: 401(k) with employer match, profit-sharing participation, paid sick time, paid vacation, paid personal and family care leave, and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP). More detailed information regarding the benefits package based on your geographic location will be shared during the application process.
 

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