Postdoctoral Research Associate – AI/ML for Biological Sciences

Brookhaven National Laboratory; Upton (NY); On-site; USD 71,900 - 119,000; Full time

Job summary

Brookhaven National Laboratory is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in AI/ML for Biological Science in Upton, New York. The role involves conducting research to support biology-related projects, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, and evaluating AI/ML model performance. Candidates should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and expertise in AI/ML. The position offers a competitive salary range of $71,900 to $119,000 per year, depending on experience, with a potential for a 2-year term renewal based on performance and funding availability.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, biology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in AI/ML and statistical learning.
• Experience developing or evaluating machine learning methods on complex real-world datasets.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in AI/ML for biology-related projects.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate scientific questions into computational workflows.
• Evaluate model performance and contribute to research deliverables.

Skills

AI/ML expertise

Statistical learning

Data analytics

Collaborative work

Research productivity

Education

Ph.D. in relevant field

Tools

Biological software tools

Programming/scripting for analysis

Deep learning frameworks

Job description

Position Overview

Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Computing and Data Sciences (CDS) Directorate seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate – AI/ML for Biological Science for an on‑site position in the AI Department. The successful candidate will contribute to interdisciplinary research projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and biology, applying advanced computational methods to biological data and scientific problems.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in AI/ML and data science to support biology‑related projects.
• Collaborate with AI researchers, computational scientists, and biology domain experts to translate scientific questions into computational workflows.
• Evaluate model performance, interpret results, and contribute to reproducible analysis pipelines and research software.
• Document methods and results and contribute to manuscripts, reports, presentations, and other project deliverables.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team science.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ph.D. in computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, biology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in AI/ML, statistical learning, or advanced data analytics.
• Experience developing, applying, or evaluating novel machine learning or data‑driven methods on complex real‑world datasets.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.
• Strong track record of research productivity, demonstrated in peer‑reviewed publications or equivalent research outputs.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Familiarity with computational biology, bioinformatics, or biological data science concepts and workflows.
• Computational skills, including experience with programming/scripting for large‑scale data analysis and reproducible research workflows.
• Experience using biological software tools, workflows, and databases.
• Experience with deep learning, large language models (LLMs), protein language models (PLMs), or related generative AI methods for scientific or biological applications.
• Proven exposure to model development, fine‑tuning, evaluation, benchmarking, or deployment in modern AI/ML environments.
• Worked with heterogeneous, multimodal, or large‑scale scientific datasets.
• Experience contributing to reusable analysis workflows, scientific software, open‑source projects, or collaborative codebases.
• Familiarity with agentic AI systems, AI‑assisted scientific workflows, or tool‑using autonomous or semi‑autonomous AI frameworks.

Additional Information

• This is an on‑site position based at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York.
• The position has an initial 2‑year term, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availability.
• Salary range: $71,900 – $119,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
• Brookhaven policy: Post‑doctoral applicants may not exceed five years of relevant work experience after completing a Ph.D., excluding time for family planning, military service, illness, or other life‑changing events.
• Candidates must have received a Ph.D. by the commencement of employment.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Brookhaven Science Associates is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, Veterans and Disabled. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of protected characteristics.