Biology Specialist

TaskUs Outsourcing Philippines, Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off including vacation, sick

Holidays

Job summary

TaskUs Outsourcing Philippines, Inc. is seeking a Biology Specialist to join a frontline life-sciences pod supporting AI safety initiatives. You will review flagged queries, apply scientific judgment, and generate precise labels to train automated safety filters.

The role emphasizes training and calibration, with a strong emphasis on safeguarding against dual-use risks. Location is in the United States with Texas residency preferred; remote work setup may be available for selected candidates.

Qualifications

• Graduate-level degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Synthetic Biology, Biosecurity, or a directly related life-sciences discipline.
• 1–3 years of practical laboratory, research, or analytical experience in a biological discipline or biosecurity setting.
• Strong written English communication with the ability to articulate scientific reasoning concisely in case logs.

Responsibilities

• Queue Review & Triaging: evaluate automated detection flags across biological threat vectors.
• Distinguish legitimate scientific work from requests seeking weaponization or harm pathways.
• Ground-Truth Labeling: apply rigorous, policy-aligned classification labels to adjudicated cases for training classifiers.
• Literature & Source Verification: review literature and databases to verify restricted agents or dual-use risks.
• Case Escalations: document findings and hand off high-risk cases to Senior Specialists.
• Calibration & Feedback: participate in calibration sessions to ensure labeling precision.

Skills

Investigative mindset

Strong written English

Documentation

Analytical thinking

Education

Graduate-level degree in Microbiology/Virology/Molecular Biology/Immunology/Synthetic Biology/Biosecurity

Tools

CRISPR workflows

Job description

About TaskUs:

TaskUs is a provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience to fast-growing technology companies, helping its clients represent, protect and grow their brands. Leveraging a cloud-based infrastructure, TaskUs serves clients in the fastest-growing sectors, including social media, e-commerce, gaming, streaming media, food delivery, ride‑sharing, HiTech, FinTech, and HealthTech. The People First culture at TaskUs has enabled the company to expand its workforce to approximately 60,000 employees globally. Presently, we have a presence in twenty‑three locations across twelve countries, which include the Philippines, India, and the United States. It started with one ridiculously good idea to create a different breed of Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO)! We at TaskUs understand that achieving growth for our partners requires a culture of constant motion, exploring new technologies, being ready to handle any challenge at a moment’s notice, and mastering consistency in an ever‑changing world.

What We Offer:

At TaskUs, we prioritize our employees’ well-being by offering competitive industry salaries and comprehensive benefits packages. Our commitment to a People First culture is reflected in the various departments we have established, including Total Rewards, Wellness, HR, and Diversity. We take pride in our inclusive environment and positive impact on the community. Moreover, we actively encourage internal mobility and professional growth at all stages of an employee's career within TaskUs.

Salary Range: per year. Pay Transparency Statement: The base salary range represents the low and high end of the anticipated salary range for this position across our US locations. The "pay scale" provided is a good faith estimate of the range the employer reasonably expects to pay for the position at the time of hire. Actual salary will be determined based on various factors including, but not limited to, the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and specific geographic location.

• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and holidays

Application Window: This position is expected to remain open until 11-30-2026. We recommend that interested candidates apply within 7 days of the posting date to ensure consideration.

Job Description:

Biology Specialist TaskUs partners with pioneering technology companies to build the safety, intelligence, and human-in-the-loop operations powering next-generation artificial intelligence. In this role, you will join a specialized frontline life-sciences pod supporting one of the world’s foremost frontier AI research and safety companies. Their Safeguards mission is vital: prevent state‑of‑the‑art AI systems from lowering technical barriers to the creation or proliferation of biological weapons and catastrophic biological risks. Because benign scientific research (academic inquiry, clinical workflows, synthetic biology) shares significant terminology with biological threat vectors, every flagged biological case is routed to human expert review. As a Biology Specialist, you will review incoming flagged queries, apply deep scientific judgment to separate harmless academic research from potential misuse, generate precise labels to train automated safety filters, and prepare structured escalations for Senior and Principal leads.

What You Will Do:

Queue Review & Triage:

• Conduct first-line evaluation of automated detection flags across critical biological threat vectors:
• Sourcing and acquisition of Tier 1 select agents and high-consequence pathogens
• Genetic modifications enhancing virulence, transmissibility, or immune evasion
• Production, scaled culturing, fermentation, and purification protocols
• Formulation, aerosolization, stabilization, and dissemination techniques

Dual-Use Triage:

• Distinguish legitimate scientific work (e.g., standard coursework, academic literature synthesis, diagnostic protocols) from requests seeking actionable weaponization or harm pathways.

Ground-Truth Labeling:

• Apply rigorous, policy-aligned classification labels to every adjudicated case, providing the benchmark data needed to validate and train automated safety classifiers.

Literature & Source Verification:

• Review life-science literature, genomic databases, and biosecurity guidelines to verify whether flagged user queries involve restricted agents or novel dual-use risks.

Case Escalations:

• Document findings clearly and construct well-supported case handoffs when escalating ambiguous, high-risk, or boundary cases to Senior Specialists.

Calibration & Feedback:

• Actively participate in regular calibration sessions, integrating feedback to ensure uniform labeling precision across the pod.

What You Bring:

• Graduate-level degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) in Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Synthetic Biology, Biosecurity, or a directly related life-sciences discipline.
• 1–3 years of practical laboratory, research, or analytical experience in a biological discipline or biosecurity setting (graduate research experience applies).
• Strong Scientific Baseline: Solid understanding of virological and microbiological fundamentals, containment protocols (BSL-2+), basic gene synthesis/CRISPR workflows, and pathogen handling.
• Investigative Mindset & Documentation: Strong written English communication with the ability to articulate scientific reasoning concisely in case logs.
• Location & Authorization: Based in the United States with unrestricted work authorization (Texas residency preferred).

Nice to Have:

• Exposure to the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) or international biosecurity frameworks (e.g., Australia Group common control lists).
• Academic or professional background in biodefense, public health surveillance, or dual-use research of concern (DURC).
• Experience with DNA synthesis screening protocols or computational biology tools.
• Familiarity with large language models, prompt engineering, or AI safety concepts.
• An active or previously held U.S. Government Security Clearance (Secret or higher).

Good to Know:

• Sensitivity of Material: Daily responsibilities involve reviewing flagged prompts and scientific inquiries related to dangerous biological agents, toxin extraction, and synthetic biology protocols.
• Schedule & Rotation: The role may require rotational shift or occasional weekend/holiday coverage to maintain operational review timelines.
• Security Screening: Selected candidates may be subject to client-directed insider-threat screening, background checks, and academic credential verification prior to and during engagement.
• Location: US (Texas preferred)
• Work Setup: Remote
• Type: Full time
• Salary Range: $80,000 - $105,000

DEI:

In TaskUs we believe that innovation and higher performance are brought by people from all walks of life. We welcome applicants of different backgrounds, demographics, and circumstances. Inclusive and equitable practices are our responsibility as a business. TaskUs is committed to providing equal access to opportunities. If you need reasonable accommodations in any part of the hiring process, please let us know.

EEO:

TaskUs is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We celebrate and support diversity; we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. TaskUs people first culture thrives on it for the benefit of our employees, our clients, our services, and our community.