Biologist, DeepMind

Google LLC; City Of London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Google LLC is seeking a biologist/microbiologist SME to evaluate and mitigate safety risks of frontier AI models in the biology domain. You will test, design, and implement evaluation and red-teaming strategies, partnering with CBRNE and safety experts to ensure responsible AI deployment.

The role requires deep knowledge of biology and AI safety, with responsibility for communicating complex risks to leadership and external stakeholders in a global, cross-disciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent practical experience in related field.
• At least 3 years wet-lab experience with dual-use research, high-consequence pathogens, or biological toxins.
• Experience using LLMs or narrow-use AI to analyze and mitigate biosafety risks.
• Authored peer-reviewed publications in microbiology/virology/host-pathogen interactions.

Responsibilities

• Test, evaluate, and mitigate harmful capabilities of frontier AI models in biology.
• Design and execute biology evaluations, red-teaming, and mitigation frameworks.
• Collaborate with CBRNE/Responsibility engineers to balance safety with scientific utility.
• Partner with experts in CBRN, AI ethics, policy and safety.
• Support development of Google’s CBRNE safety policy and communicate risks to stakeholders.

Skills

PhD in Virology/Microbiology

3 years wet-lab experience

LLMs / AI model experience

Peer-reviewed publications

Education

PhD in Wet-Lab Virology, Microbiology, Biology, or related field

Tools

Command line tools

Coding

Job description

• PhD in Wet-Lab Virology, Microbiology, Biology, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 3 years of wet-lab experience with dual-use research, high-consequence pathogens, or biological toxins.
• Experience utilizing LLMs or narrow-use AI models to analyze and mitigate biological risks.
  
• Authored peer-reviewed publications across microbiology, virology, host-pathogen interactions, protein biochemistry, or immunology.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in AI safety, evaluations, red-teaming, or applied AI research at a national laboratory, academic institution, or industry setting.
• Experience in using command line tools or coding.
• Proven application of biosecurity and biosafety concepts, including identifying misuse scenarios of emerging technologies.
• Knowledge of challenges of biological weapons, the biological threat landscape, potential mitigations and awareness of relevant stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the intersection of microbiology/virology within AI safety and Safety Frameworks in AI.
• Active security clearance, or the eligibility to obtain and maintain one.

About the job

Google’s CBRNE team (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives) makes sure that as Gemini gets better at science, it does not become a tool for catastrophic harm. We would like to invite applications from qualified biologists/microbiologists for the position of a biologist/microbiologist Subject Matter Expert (SME) in the CBRNE team within the Responsible Frontier AI Research (RFAIR) team, joining SMEs with broad experience across biology.

You will work as a Research Scientist, serving as a technical expert responsible for evaluating and mitigating safety risks of frontier AI models (primarily but not limited to LLMs) in the biology domain; specifically, model assistance in the acquisition, development and dissemination of harmful biological agents and other dual use entities.

Artificial intelligence will be one of humanity’s most transformative inventions. At DeepMind, we are a pioneering AI lab with exceptional interdisciplinary teams focused on advancing AI development to solve complex global challenges and accelerate high-quality product innovation for billions of users. We use our technologies for widespread public benefit and scientific discovery, ensuring safety and ethics are always our highest priority.

We are pushing the boundaries across multiple domains. Our global teams offer learning opportunities and varied career pathways for those driven to achieve exceptional results through collective effort.

Responsibilities

• Be responsible to test, evaluate, and mitigate harmful capabilities of frontier AI models in the biology domain.
• Design, develop and execute biology evaluations, assessments, frameworks, and red-teaming strategies to test the capability, safety, and uplift of AI models and support the development of mitigations.
• Collaborate with CBRNE/Responsibility engineers to ensure blocks on harmful outputs without overly degrading the model's scientific utility, requiring a deep understanding of dual use science.
• Partner with experts in various fields of CBRN, science, AI ethics, policy and safety.
• Support the ongoing development and refinement of Google’s CBRNE safety policy, and clearly communicating complex risks, evaluation findings, and mitigation strategies to leadership and technical and non-technical external stakeholders.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See also Google's EEO Policy , Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal , Belonging at Google , and How we hire .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

• Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.