Bilingual Chemistry PhD - AI Safety

Obsidian; Riyad Al Khabra; On-site; SAR 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Obsidian is hiring PhD-level scientists fluent in English and Arabic to help make advanced AI models safer. You will apply your scientific expertise to evaluate and strengthen how these models handle specialized topics in Arabic.

No prior AI/ML experience is required — we will train you on the workflow and provide guidance on prompting, evaluation, and safety. Start date: Immediate, with a focus on rigorous analysis.

Qualifications

• PhD in chemistry, biology, or closely related field.
• Native or near-native fluency in Arabic; business-level written English.
• Deep familiarity with modern laboratory and computational techniques in your subfield.
• Sound judgment around scientific safety and responsible handling of dual-use information.

Responsibilities

• Write expert-level prompts in Arabic across specialized scientific topics.
• Evaluate and annotate model responses for scientific accuracy, helpfulness, and appropriate handling of sensitive content.
• Apply structured guidelines to classify prompts and conversations.

Skills

Bilingual (English/Arabic)

Education

PhD in Chemistry or Biology or related field

Job description

About the role

We're hiring PhD-level scientists who are proficient bilingual speakers (English & Arabic) to help make advanced AI models safer. You'll apply your scientific expertise to evaluate and strengthen how these models handle specialized technical topics in Arabic. No prior AI/ML experience is required — we'll train you on the workflow.

What you'll do

• Write expert-level prompts in Arabic across specialized scientific topics.
• Evaluate and annotate model responses for scientific accuracy, helpfulness, and appropriate handling of sensitive content.
• Apply structured guidelines to classify prompts and conversations.

What we're looking for

• A PhD in chemistry, biology, or a closely related field — ongoing or completed — with the depth to write prompts across chemical, biological, or radiological and nuclear subject areas.
• Native or near-native fluency in Arabic, plus business-level written English.
• Deep familiarity with modern laboratory and computational techniques in your subfield.
• Sound judgment around scientific safety and the responsible handling of dual-use information.

Nice to have

• Based in Saudi Arabia or the wider MENA region. This is a preference, not a requirement — applicants based elsewhere are welcome.
• Radiological and nuclear coverage from a chemistry background is welcome — radiochemistry, nuclear chemistry, energetic materials, or radiation physics all qualify.
• Demonstrated depth in a specific subfield rather than broad coverage — for example organic or inorganic synthesis, molecular biology, microbiology, virology, or genetics.
• Research or coursework touching on chemical safety and security, biosafety and biosecurity, or hazardous-materials handling.
• Experience reviewing, grading, or red-teaming technical content.

Project Timeline

• Start date: Immediate