Research Engineer I II/III (AI / Machine Learning)

The J David Gladstone Institutes; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 78,000 - 114,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Excellent benefits

Job summary

Gladstone Institutes seeks an AI Research Engineer to build AI-native systems for a translational science lab in San Francisco. You will design a lab knowledge repository, enable agentic AI workflows, and prototype tools that accelerate discovery in biology.

The role collaborates with experimental scientists to deploy AI solutions, evaluate new techniques, and stay aligned with cutting-edge computational biology research. Strong Python and cloud experience preferred.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioengineering, or related quantitative field.
• 0-2 years of research or industry experience; exceptional undergraduates considered.
• Strong Python programming skills and experience with AI-assisted coding tools.
• Familiarity with agentic AI fundamentals, tool calls, vector databases, and related tech.
• Experience building projects with LLMs and agentic AI frameworks (Langchain, OpenAI/Claude).

Responsibilities

• Design and build systems ingesting literature, datasets, notebooks, Slack discussions, transcripts, protocols, etc. into a lab knowledge repository.
• Develop agentic AI systems that reason across the repository and use external tools for multi-step workflows.
• Create always-on AI agents that review papers and notes, propose hypotheses and experiments, and help interpretation.
• Collaborate with experimental scientists to prototype and deploy AI tools.
• Evaluate new AI tools and incorporate state-of-the-art methods into the lab.

Skills

Python programming

AI fundamentals

Agentic AI

Cloud platforms

Docker

Git

Communication skills

Education

BS/MS in Computer Science / AI / ML / Computational Biology / Bioengineering

Tools

Langchain/Langgraph

OpenAI/Claude SDK

Embeddings & vector DBs

APIs integration

Job description

Category: Science Lab/Area: Jain Lab Description: Who we are At Gladstone Institutes, every role contributes to discoveries that have the potential to transform lives. Gladstone is a world-renowned independent, nonprofit biomedical research organization dedicated to solving some of the most challenging diseases affecting humanity. Our scientists are leaders in neuroscience, cardiovascular disease, immunology, stem cell biology, and emerging areas of biomedical innovation. Located in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission Bay research hub, Gladstone brings together exceptional researchers, clinicians, and professionals who share a common goal: improving human health through science. With approximately 600 employees, we offer the agility of an independent institute combined with the impact of a globally recognized research organization. We foster a collaborative, inclusive culture where employees are encouraged to grow professionally while contributing to work that truly matters.

About the Role

The Jain Lab develops new approaches to understand how oxygen, metabolism, and vitamins regulate physiology and disease. We combine CRISPR screens, multi-omics, imaging, computational biology, and animal models to answer fundamental biological questions and develop new therapies. We are seeking a highly motivated AI Research Engineer to help build an AI-native research laboratory. You will develop AI systems that access scientific literature, laboratory datasets, electronic lab notebooks, Slack discussions, manuscripts, protocols, and experimental results in order to generate hypotheses, critique ideas, design experiments, and accelerate discovery. This is a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of frontier AI and experimental biology, helping define how AI transforms biomedical research.

What You Will Do

• Design and build systems for ingesting literature, datasets, electronic lab notebooks, Slack discussions, meeting transcripts, code repositories, protocols, etc. into a "lab knowledge repository" (data layer) optimized for search & retrieval of information by AI agents.
• Develop agentic AI systems that reason across the lab knowledge repository, and use external tools to perform multi-step scientific workflows tailored to the lab's focus and ways of working.
• Build always-on AI agents that proactively review new papers, meetings transcripts, etc. and make connections, suggest hypotheses & experiments, identify flaws or gaps, and help with interpretation.
• Collaborate closely with experimental scientists to rapidly prototype and deploy AI tools.
• Evaluate new & emerging AI tools for biomedical research and incorporate state-of-the-art methods into the lab.

What You Will Need

• BS or MS in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioengineering, or a related quantitative discipline.
• 0-2 years of research or industry experience (outstanding undergraduate applicants encouraged).
• Strong Python programming skills.
• Strong knowledge of best practices for AI-assisted coding with tools like Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, etc.
• Strong knowledge of agentic AI fundamentals such as MCP servers/tool calling loops, embeddings & vector databases, skills & context engineering, and related technologies.
• Experience building projects with LLMs and agentic AI frameworks such as Langchain/Langgraph, OpenAI/Gemini/Claude SDK, etc.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure (GCP, AWS, Azure), Docker, Git, and modern software engineering practices.
• Interest in biology and enthusiasm for learning molecular biology and biomedical research.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

What Is Preferred

• Coursework or research experience in molecular biology, genetics, computational biology, or bioinformatics.
• Experience with biological datasets (RNA-seq, CRISPR screens, imaging, proteomics, metabolomics).
• Experience developing AI agents that interact with APIs, databases, or external tools.
• GitHub, open-source contributions, or substantial personal AI projects.

Who Should Apply

We are looking for someone who loves building things, learns new technologies quickly, and is excited about applying frontier AI to scientific discovery. You do not need extensive industry experience, but you should have demonstrated initiative through research projects, internships, open-source contributions, or personal projects involving LLMs or agentic AI systems. You will work closely with researchers across Gladstone, Arc Institute, UCSF, and collaborating laboratories.

Salary Range: $78,000-$114,000 Gladstone

Gladstone Perks & Benefits

• People-work with talented, committed, and supportive teammates within an organization that values each member of its community.
• A meaningful place to grow and learn-whether it’s your professional skills or scientific knowledge, we have the resources and environment to advance either so you can better support Gladstone’s mission to drive a new era of discovery in disease-oriented science and to mentor tomorrow’s leaders in an inspiring and excellent environment.
• Healthy work/life balance-you are highly engaged and productive at work because you can have time to recharge and enjoy a vibrant life outside of work.
• Compensation-competitive salary. Title and salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
• Excellent benefits-generous medical, dental, vision, retirement plan, paid vacation, commuter benefits, access to free shuttle transportation.

Gladstone is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other non-job related characteristic. We make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment.

Based in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, Gladstone is an independent state-of-the-art biomedical research institution that empowers its world-class scientists to find new pathways to cures.