Scientist / Senior Scientist, Computational Biology

Syenex, Inc; Evanston (IL); Sur place; USD 120 000 - 180 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

Syenex, Inc. is seeking a Scientist / Senior Scientist in Computational Biology to lead the computational backbone of our R&D engine. You will drive high-throughput discovery campaigns, apply ML to protein, DNA, and RNA engineering, and build automation and internal software to accelerate research and operations.

This hands-on, cross-functional role requires production-quality coding, collaboration with bench scientists, and the ability to turn data into better molecules at speed.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in a relevant science, engineering, and/or data science discipline.
• 3+ years of industry experience in high-throughput biology and ML for R&D.
• Experience with enterprise AI tools such as Claude Code.
• Ability to work across computational and bench science teams.

Responsabilités

• Lead computational aspects of method development for high-throughput discovery campaigns.
• Integrate ML/AI into protein, DNA, and RNA engineering workflows.
• Develop and maintain internal software for data analysis and biomolecular design.
• Collaborate with bench scientists to ensure data quality and actionable outputs.
• Advise on best practices for ML tools in R&D and deployment of enterprise AI tools.
• Partner with R&D to deliver automation and data visualization tools.

Connaissances

Computational biology

Machine learning for biotech

High-throughput workflows

Automation of data workflows

Collaborative research

Production-quality coding

Formation

MS or PhD in relevant field

Outils

Claude Code

Biomolecular design software

Automation tooling

Description du poste

About Syenex

Syenex is an open-science biotechnology company building the delivery technologies that unlock the future of genetic medicine. We engineer cell-specific delivery platforms—including enveloped vectors such as extracellular vesicles and viral vectors—that give cell and gene therapy developers best-in‑class, plug‑and‑play tools spanning discovery through GMP manufacturing.

Founded in 2022 and based in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, Syenex operates on an Open Science model: we make a continuously improving catalog of cell‑engineering and delivery technologies universally accessible to academia and biopharma, freeing our partners to focus on their therapeutic insight. Through a growing network of partnerships and CDMO integrations, we help developers move from idea to clinical impact faster, at lower cost, and with higher delivery efficiency.

We are a small, multidisciplinary team that pairs rigorous synthetic biology with a build‑fast, collaborate‑openly culture. This role is central to how we scale that science.

About The Role

We are seeking a Scientist / Senior Scientist in Computational Biology to build the computational backbone of our R&D engine. Operating at the intersection of computational and experimental biology, you will lead high-throughput, library-based discovery campaigns, integrate machine learning and AI into our biomolecular design efforts, and build the automation and internal software that accelerate our research and operations. This is a hands‑on, cross‑functional role for someone who is equally comfortable writing production-quality code, applying modern ML methods to protein, DNA, and RNA engineering, and partnering closely with bench scientists to turn data into better molecules.

What You'll Do

• Work directly with our Co-founder and CSO on dedicated projects.
• Lead the computational aspects of method development, including high-throughput, library-based discovery and refinement campaigns—for example, binder protein discovery and optimization.
• Integrate machine learning and AI methods into our protein, DNA, and RNA engineering, iteration, and product‑development workflows, including computational prediction of biomolecular structures.
• Collaborate with the R&D team to design and deliver customized automation, data analysis, data visualization, and biomolecular design tools, and partner directly with bench scientists to produce high-quality, analysis‑ready data and feed results back fast enough to inform the next round of experiments.
• Build and maintain custom internal software packages for managing research and operations—spanning automated workflows, DNA and library design, and data analysis.
• Advise on best practices for the development, use, and validation of machine learning tools across R&D.
• Facilitate the thoughtful adoption and deployment of enterprise AI tools throughout operations, using them heavily in your own work—for experimental planning, tool development, and data interpretation.

Qualifications

A competitive candidate will bring a combination of training and experience that enables them to lead collaborative work of the type described above. Exemplary credentials include:

• A MS or PhD in a relevant scientific, engineering, and/or data science discipline.
• Dedicated training/experience in contemporary machine learning methodology, best practices, and applications.
• At least 3 years of relevant industry experience, including high-throughput biology research, machine learning for R&D, and automation of data and design workflows.
• Facility with enterprise AI tools, including but not limited to Claude Code, as well as computational biomolecular design packages employing AI/ML.
• Specific experience in biotechnology.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, collaborative research environment while balancing scientific rigor with rapid iteration.
• Demonstrated curiosity, creativity, and ownership in driving projects forward.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast‑paced research environment.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across computational and bench science teams.