Postdoctoral Research Associate - AI/ML for Biological Sciences

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

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits program

Possibility of renewal after initial term

Equal Opportunity Employer

Job summary

Brookhaven National Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate - AI/ML for Biological Science to contribute to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of AI, machine learning, and biology. The role involves developing data-driven methods for biological research, collaborating with scientists, and analyzing complex datasets. A strong background in AI/ML and a Ph.D. are required, with preference for experience in biological data science. Salary range is $71,900 - $119,000 annually, based in Upton, New York.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. required with expertise in AI/ML and data analytics.
• Experience with complex real-world datasets and novel machine learning methods.
• Ability to work in collaborative, interdisciplinary environments.

Responsibilities

• Conduct AI/ML research for biology-related projects.
• Collaborate to translate scientific questions into computational workflows.
• Contribute to manuscripts and research deliverables.

Skills

Expertise in AI/ML

Data science

Computational analysis

Collaboration in research

Strong research productivity

Education

Ph.D. in computer science, statistics, applied mathematics, or biology

Tools

Programming/scripting for data analysis

Biological software tools

Job description

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 domain science, with a particular emphasis on biology. This position is intended for candidates with strong expertise in AI/ML, data science, and computational analysis, who are interested in applying advanced computational methods to biological data and scientific problems.

Position Description

The Postdoctoral Research Associate will develop and apply AI/ML and data-driven approaches to support biological research projects within the CDS AI Department. The selected candidate will work closely with computational scientists, AI researchers, and domain collaborators to analyze complex biological datasets, build or adapt computational models, and help advance data-enabled discovery in biology. The ideal candidate will have strong training in machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistical modeling, or related computational fields, along with sufficient background or interest in biological applications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science in support of biology-related projects.
• Collaborate with AI researchers, computational scientists, and biology domain experts to translate scientific questions into effective 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.
• This 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. The final salary is commensurate with experience and internal peer group benchmarks.
• Brookhaven policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post-doc and/or in an R&D position.
• Candidates must have received a Ph.D. by the commencement of employment.

Benefits and Compliance

Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to employee success and provides a comprehensive benefits program. See more information at the BNL Benefits Program.

Brookhaven National Laboratory requires all non-badged personnel, including visitors, to produce REAL-ID or REAL-ID compliant documentation to access the Laboratory. More information is available at www.bnl.gov/real-id. Those not in possession of a REAL ID-compliant document will not be permitted to access the site.

Equal Opportunity

Brookhaven National Laboratory is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by law and provide reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process.