Principal System Architect - Instrument

At Cytek Biosciences, we're transforming the future of flow cytometry. As a global leader in spectral technology, our advanced platforms enable deeper scientific discovery, empowering researchers in academic, clinical, and biopharma labs to accelerate their breakthroughs with unmatched precision and efficiency.

We're growing fast-and we're looking for passionate, driven individuals to grow with us. If you're ready to make an impact in a cutting-edge biotech company, this is your opportunity.

Cytek Biosciences is seeking an experienced Instrument System Architect to define and guide the architecture of next-generation flow cytometry platforms. This role translates customer, application, and business needs into robust, scalable instrument designs, with ownership of system architecture, subsystem integration, reliability, and cross-functional execution across global teams and suppliers, including partners in China. Based in Fremont, CA, this position will also build and lead a small team of system engineers in China, including hiring, development, and performance management. The ideal candidate has deep experience in complex analytical, diagnostic, or life science instrumentation and brings a strong background in either software architecture and systems engineering or hardware-centric instrument architecture, ideally within regulated environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end system architecture for flow cytometry instruments, ensuring integration across software, fluidics, optics, electronics, and serviceability requirements.
• Translate customer, user, and business needs into clear system requirements, subsystem specifications, and interface definitions for scalable, manufacturable products.
• Establish and maintain system- and subsystem-level documentation, including architecture definitions, design specifications, and interface controls, to guide engineering design, characterization, verification, and validation.
• Build system and subsystem models using empirical and characterization data to optimize performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and scalability.
• Lead architecture decisions across the platform, including software architecture for real-time detection, on-demand services, and automated workflow orchestration.
• Define architecture trade-offs across hardware and software domains, ensuring robust performance, serviceability, and long-term platform extensibility.
• Drive reliability engineering activities, including failure mode analysis, reliability risk assessment, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and long-term robustness improvements.
• Establish and track system-level reliability goals such as uptime, MTBF, failure rates, maintenance intervals, and field performance metrics.
• Collaborate closely with R&D, quality, manufacturing, service, NPI, and software teams to ensure architecture choices support product reliability and lifecycle performance.
• Build, hire, and manage a small team of engineers based in China, including role definition, recruiting, onboarding, coaching, and performance management.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to the China-based engineering team across time zones.
• Travel to China quarterly to support team building, hiring interviews, onboarding, design reviews, supplier alignment, and in-person technical collaboration.
• Work directly with internal teams and suppliers in China to align on technical requirements, resolve issues, support qualification, and drive execution.
• Participate in partner development, design reviews, risk mitigation, and technical issue resolution with global and China-based partners.
• Guide subsystem teams through architecture definition, integration, verification, and validation activities, ensuring robust performance under real-world use conditions.
• Support design for manufacturability, testability, serviceability, and supply chain resilience.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across engineering teams in both the US and China.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience developing complex analytical, diagnostic, or life science instrumentation.
• Demonstrated experience in system architecture and cross-functional technical leadership.
• Strong background in either software architecture and systems engineering or hardware and instrument architecture, with the ability to collaborate effectively across both domains.
• Experience hiring, building, and managing engineering teams, ideally in a global or multi-site environment.
• Strong understanding of one or more technical areas such as fluidics systems, flow control, microfluidics, particle transport, contamination mitigation, embedded systems, software integration, or instrument control.
• Experience with reliability engineering methods such as FMEA, fault tree analysis, root cause analysis, and reliability growth.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and a bias toward root cause resolution and preventive action.
• Direct experience with Class I, II, or III medical devices, including 510(k)-cleared products.
• Experience operating in or helping build a cGMP-compliant environment.
• Ability to translate customer and product needs into clear engineering requirements and technical trade-offs.
• Strong communicator who can teach, coach, and influence without formal authority.
• Hands-on problem solver who enjoys working on the production floor as well as in documentation systems.
• Ability to travel internationally, including quarterly travel to China.
• Ability to work effectively across time zones and cultures, with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural collaboration skills.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience with flow cytometers or closely related technologies such as hematology analyzers, cell sorters, or microfluidic diagnostic systems.
• Experience designing for high reliability, field performance, and serviceability in regulated instruments.
• Familiarity with optical detection systems, fluorescence, and signal acquisition.
• Experience architecting software-enabled instruments, including embedded control, desktop applications, connected systems, or cloud-integrated workflows.
• Experience with software engineering practices such as system decomposition, interface design, testability, versioning, and release management.
• Professional working proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, highly preferred.
• Proven track record of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding engineering talent in China or APAC.
• Hands-on experience coordinating with China- and APAC-based engineering and operations teams.
• Experience working with suppliers, contract manufacturers, or development partners in China.
• Experience building and managing remote or distributed engineering teams, particularly in China or APAC.
• Experience working in regulated environments such as ISO 13485 and FDA design controls.
• Proficiency with modeling, simulation, or data analysis tools such as CFD, MATLAB, or Python.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Prolonged periods of sitting and standing

Cytek is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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