Research Scientist

Chaidiscovery; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Frontier technology projects

World-class colleagues

Career growth opportunities

Supportive culture

Highly competitive compensation

Job summary

A biotech company specializing in AI-driven drug discovery is looking for an AI Research Scientist to conduct groundbreaking research on computational modeling for biological applications. The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in relevant fields such as Machine Learning or Computational Biology. Responsibilities include translating scientific questions into modeling experiments and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Competitive compensation and a supportive culture are offered in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Strong publication record in top ML or life-science venues.
• Experience in evaluating large models on protein or small-molecule data.
• Ability to translate scientific questions into modeling experiments.
• Skilled at wrangling large biological datasets.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on computational modeling for biological applications.
• Push the frontier of AI drug design.
• Work with cross-functional teams on project goals.
• Communicate complex findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Skills

Machine Learning

Computational Biology

Bioinformatics

Proficient in Python

Deep-learning frameworks

Experimental design

Data visualization

Collaboration in teams

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent research experience

Job description

About Chai Discovery

Chai Discovery builds frontier AI models to design molecules and transform how new cures are found. We are a craft-obsessed team setting out to re-architect drug discovery and save lives.

The Chai founding team brought together leading researchers in this space and top silicon valley operators. Our founders led seminal accomplishments at top AI-for-biology programs and labs, co-invented protein language modelling, built state-of-the-art folding algorithms, and sold AI adopted by top-10 pharma companies. We are backed by top-tier investors, including OpenAI, Thrive Capital, Dimension, Conviction, Lachy Groom, Amplify, and many more.

About the role

As an AI Research Scientist, you will conduct groundbreaking research on computational modeling for biological applications. Chai's models are moving beyond protein structure prediction into real-world therapeutic engineering. This is a chance to push the frontier of AI drug design, working alongside a craft-obsessed team of micro-pessimists and macro-optimists.

About you

We’re seeking an AI Leader with rigorous research experience and desire to push the limits of what’s possible in therapeutic design and a restless drive to solve real-world problems and iterate quickly. You should have:

Significant research experience:

• Ph.D. or equivalent research experience in Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Chemistry, or a related field

• Strong publication or project record in top ML or life-science venues (NeurIPS, ICML, Nature Methods, PLoS CB, J. Chem. Inf. Model., etc.)

Technical skills:

• Proficient in Python and deep-learning frameworks

• Experience training and evaluating large models on protein, antibody, or small-molecule data, or demonstrably transferable ML expertise

Experimental design & analysis:

• Able to translate open-ended scientific questions into tractable modeling experiments

• Skilled at wrangling large biological or chemical datasets, computing meaningful metrics, and visualizing results for diverse audiences

Collaboration & communication:

• Enjoy working in cross-functional teams, aligning with wet-lab scientists, software engineers, and product leads

• Clear communicator who can distill complex findings into next-step recommendations for both technical and non-technical stakeholders

Mindset:

• Curious, ambitious, and comfortable iterating quickly on v0 ideas

• Motivated by turning breakthrough research into real-world therapeutic impact

We offer

• Frontier technology: work on the technologies that promises to fundamentally change how new therapeutics are created.

• World-class people: work with world-renowned leaders in the AI x Biology ecosystem.

• Velocity and ownership: we move incredibly fast and liberally distribute ownership, which means continuous learning and career growth opportunities are guaranteed.

• Strong culture and mission: we foster a supportive culture that is mission-driven and high-energy.

• Highly competitive compensation: we attract the best talent and compensate them accordingly.