Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD)

Confidential; United States; Remote; USD 83,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Zekai is seeking a Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD) for a 100% remote contractor role. You will design expert-level microbiome and translational research problems, and evaluate AI model outputs for scientific accuracy and depth of reasoning.

You will develop rubrics grounded in primary literature and apply 16S, shotgun metagenomics, virome analyses, and omics-driven precision medicine. Strong English is required and a PhD is essential.

Qualifications

• PhD in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, Epidemiology, or closely related field.
• Hands-on research experience in an academic or industry lab.
• Professional written and spoken English (C1 or higher).

Responsibilities

• Design and write expert-level microbiome/metagenomics problems with verifiable solutions.
• Review AI model outputs for scientific accuracy and depth of reasoning.
• Develop rubrics and reference answers grounded in primary literature.
• Apply domain expertise across 16S and shotgun metagenomics, virome/host-microbiome analysis, biomarker discovery, clinical genomics, and omics-driven precision medicine.
• Provide clear written explanations of your reasoning for peer validation.
• Meet quality standards through iterative feedback and peer review.

Skills

Research experience

Scientific writing

English proficiency

Critical thinking

Programming: Python/R/Bash

Reviewing/benchmarking scientific work

Education

PhD in Microbiology or related field

Tools

Python

R

Bash

QIIME2

Kraken2

MetaPhlAn

HUMAnN

MAG assembly/binning

Job description

Job Title: Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD)

Job Type: Contractor

Location: Remote(Worldwide)

Job Summary: In this role, you'll apply your expertise to help train next-generation AI systems. Your work will shape how models learn, reason, and perform through high-quality, real-world input.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and write challenging, expert-level scientific problems in microbiome/metagenomics, clinical and translational bioinformatics, and related life sciences, with clear, verifiable solutions.
• Review and evaluate AI model outputs for scientific accuracy, rigor, and depth of reasoning, catching subtle errors non-specialists would miss.
• Develop detailed rubrics and reference answers grounded in primary literature and established methodology.
• Apply domain expertise across areas such as 16S and shotgun metagenomics, virome/host-microbiome analysis, biomarker discovery, clinical genomics, and omics-driven precision medicine.
• Provide clear written explanations of your reasoning so other experts can follow and validate it.
• Meet quality standards through iterative feedback and peer review.

Required Qualifications (MUST)

• PhD in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, Epidemiology, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on research experience in an academic or industry lab (wetlab experience is a plus).
• Professional written and spoken English (C1 or higher).

Preferred Skills

• Postdoctoral or industry research experience in microbiome, clinical, or translational research.
• Publication record, ideally first-author papers in relevant journals.
• Microbiome tools: QIIME2, Kraken2, MetaPhlAn, HUMAnN, MAG assembly/binning, virome analysis.
• Clinical/translational: TCGA, UK Biobank, biomarker discovery, survival analysis, EHR + omics integration, oncology/immunology genomics.
• Statistics and ML for high-dimensional biological data.
• Programming: Python and/or R (required in practice), Bash, workflow tools.
• Experience reviewing, benchmarking, or writing scientific content.

This is a 100% remote contract role, open to applicants worldwide in the countries the employer accepts.