Associate Director, Computational Biology & Scientific Programmes

ARTO; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ARTO is partnering with a San Francisco-based, AI-native biotechnology company combining functional genomics, CRISPR technologies and machine learning to accelerate therapeutic target discovery. They seek a hands-on computational biology leader who can bridge science, technology and external collaboration.

You will lead multidisciplinary projects spanning computational biology, functional genomics, experimental science and drug discovery; translate partner objectives into executable workstreams;

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or related field.
• Hands-on experience with single-cell RNA sequencing and functional genomics.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R; ability to write shell scripts.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary programmes in pharma/biotech.
• Strong scientific communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead multidisciplinary projects spanning computational biology, functional genomics, experimental science and drug discovery.
• Translate partner objectives into executable scientific and computational workstreams.
• Develop project roadmaps with timelines, milestones, dependencies, risks and deliverables.
• Collaborate with external pharmaceutical partners and present results.
• Execute established bioinformatics pipelines and generate analytical reports.
• Coordinate across computational scientists, wet-lab researchers and stakeholders.
• Track progress and communicate risks with data-driven insights.

Skills

Single-cell RNA sequencing

Functional genomics

Python

R

Shell scripting

Project leadership

Education

PhD or Master’s in Computational Biology/Bioinformatics

Tools

CRISPR screening

Perturb-seq

Job description

ARTO is currently partnering with a San Francisco-based, AI-native biotechnology company combining functional genomics, CRISPR technologies and machine learning to accelerate therapeutic target discovery. The company is building a highly scalable platform designed to generate deeper insights into disease biology and support both internal drug-discovery programmes and pharmaceutical partnerships. They are now seeking a hands-on computational biology leader who can connect complex science, technology and external collaboration.

Responsibilities:

• Lead multidisciplinary projects spanning computational biology, functional genomics, experimental science and drug discovery.
• Translate partner objectives and biological questions into clear, executable scientific and computational workstreams.
• Develop project roadmaps covering timelines, resources, milestones, dependencies, risks and deliverables.
• Work directly with external pharmaceutical partners, coordinating internal delivery and presenting scientific results and recommendations.
• Execute established bioinformatics pipelines and generate analytical reports that support scientific and commercial decision-making.
• Coordinate effectively across computational scientists, wet-lab researchers, business development teams and senior stakeholders.
• Track project progress, communicate risks and deliver timely, data-driven insights across technical and non-technical audiences.

Candidate Requirements:

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Genomics, Biostatistics or a related discipline.
• Strong hands-on experience with single-cell RNA sequencing and functional genomics, ideally including CRISPR screening or Perturb-seq.
• Proficiency in computational biology workflows using Python and/or R, alongside the ability to write and execute shell scripts.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex, multidisciplinary scientific programmes within a therapeutics or drug-discovery environment.
• Experience working directly with external pharmaceutical or biotechnology partners, including presenting results and coordinating project delivery.
• Strong scientific communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to remain technically hands-on while leading programmes; candidates should be based in California or genuinely open to relocation.