Senior Research Scientist, AI Bio Capabilities Verification

AItoolnavio; United States; Remote; USD 195,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Conference sponsorships

Professional development allowance

401(k) matching up to 4%

Mental health allowance

Parental leave 12 weeks

PTO and flexible hours

Job summary

AItoolnavio is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to lead experimental validation bridging AI model capabilities and real-world biology. You will design in vitro studies, manage a BSL-2 lab, and collaborate with AI researchers, wet-lab scientists, and policy stakeholders.

The role emphasizes scientific rigor, responsible experimentation, and biosecurity, with opportunities to shape a growing research program and communicate findings to researchers and policymakers.

Qualifications

• PhD in Virology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Protein Design, or related field.
• Substantial hands-on wet-lab experience with collaboration across disciplines.
• Experience with biological agents requiring BSL-2 containment or higher.
• Strong experimental design capabilities including power analysis and confound management.
• Judgment on biological risks with a biosecurity lens.
• Ability to develop methods for novel research questions where established approaches may not exist.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct in vitro validation studies to translate AI capabilities into real biological performance.
• Develop experimental approaches with short turnaround times to inform AI model evaluation.
• Ensure scientific rigor across verification studies including controls and reproducibility.
• Translate capability-verification tasks into executable experiments with safe proxy systems.
• Interpret findings and assess implications in biological threat models.
• Collaborate with computational teams to identify in silico correlates of wet-lab findings.
• Oversee wet-lab personnel in planning and execution of studies.
• Contribute to task specifications and design for AI-enabled biological research.
• Develop demonstrations for policymakers and AI organizations with robust evidence.
• Contribute to technical reports, publications, and dashboards tracking AI bio capabilities.
• Help shape the research program and expand the BSL-2 facility.

Skills

PhD in Virology

Postdoctoral experience

Wet-lab experience

BSL-2 containment experience

Statistical power analysis

Biosecurity risk assessment

Python or R

Benchling/LIMS

Liquid-handling automation

Confidentiality and data handling

Education

PhD in Virology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Protein Design, or related

Tools

Protein-design models

Biological sequence models

AI coding tools

Liquid-handling automation

Benchling

LIMS

Job description

Senior Research Scientist will lead experimental research to determine whether the biological capabilities demonstrated by AI models in computational evaluations translate into real-world biological performance. Working within a foundational research team, you will design and conduct rigorous in vitro studies that help establish reliable evidence of AI-enabled biological capabilities and inform critical pre-release safety decisions. You will bridge computational evaluations and laboratory science, developing practical experimental methods for emerging capabilities where established benchmarks do not yet exist. The role offers an opportunity to shape a growing research program, contribute to the development of a BSL-2 laboratory, and collaborate with AI researchers, wet-lab specialists, and policy stakeholders. You will also help translate complex findings into clear, actionable evidence for researchers, AI developers, and policymakers. This is a full-time, mission-driven research position with a strong emphasis on scientific rigor, responsible experimentation, and biosecurity.

Accountabilities

• Design and conduct in vitro validation studies to determine whether capabilities demonstrated by large language models and biological AI systems computationally translate into real biological performance.
• Develop experimental approaches with sufficiently short turnaround times to inform AI model evaluation and pre-release decision-making.
• Ensure scientific rigor across verification studies, including statistical power, appropriate controls, bias mitigation, reproducibility, and confound management.
• Translate proposed capability-verification tasks into executable experiments, selecting biological proxy systems that provide meaningful evidence while maintaining appropriate safety standards.
• Critically interpret experimental findings and assess their implications in the context of relevant biological threat models.
• Collaborate with computational evaluation teams to identify in silico correlates of wet-lab findings, making costly experimental evidence easier to reproduce and measure at scale.
• Oversee wet-lab technical personnel in the planning, implementation, and execution of research studies.
• Contribute to biological task specifications and experimental design for research examining how AI may enhance human performance in biological research.
• Develop and conduct demonstrations for policymakers and leading AI organizations, ensuring findings are scientifically robust and understandable to non-specialist audiences.
• Contribute to technical reports, scientific publications, and public-facing dashboards tracking developments in AI biological capabilities.
• Help shape the research program, experimental methods, and laboratory capabilities as the team and its BSL-2 facility expand.

Requirements

• PhD in Virology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Protein Design, or a closely related discipline, together with several years of postdoctoral or equivalent professional experience. Equivalent depth of expertise from other career paths may also be considered.
• Substantial hands-on wet-lab experience in at least one relevant biological research area, with the ability to collaborate across related disciplines.
• Previous experience working with biological agents requiring BSL-2 containment or higher.
• Strong experimental design capabilities, including statistical power analysis, control selection, and confound management, particularly in small-sample studies.
• Well-calibrated judgment regarding biological risks and the ability to evaluate research activities through a biosecurity lens.
• Comfort developing methods for novel, non-standardized research questions where established experimental approaches may not exist.
• Ability to work effectively through short, intensive research cycles and adapt priorities as AI models and capabilities evolve.
• Strong commitment to research ethics, thorough documentation, and reproducible scientific practices.
• Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential or sensitive biosecurity information.
• Alignment with the mission of preventing catastrophic pandemics and reducing biological risks.
• Practical experience using biological AI tools, such as protein-design models, biological sequence models, or comparable technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building research capabilities, teams, or experimental programs from the ground up, particularly in a biotech startup or similarly fast-moving environment.
• Working proficiency in Python or R, with the ability to independently run and iterate computational evaluations.
• Familiarity with Benchling or other laboratory information management systems (LIMS).
• Experience with liquid-handling automation or agentic AI coding tools.
• Knowledge of biosecurity policy, biological threat assessment, or counterterrorism-related work.
• Experience collaborating with AI developers or working in regulated environments or settings involving strict confidentiality and non-disclosure requirements.

Benefits

• Approximate annual compensation: $195,000–$300,000, depending on experience.
• Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Annual mental health allowance.
• Flexible working hours.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO).
• At least 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• Professional development opportunities, including fully funded conference sponsorships.
• Annual professional development allowance.
• 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match of up to 4% of total salary.
• Opportunity to join a mission-driven international research team working at the intersection of AI, biotechnology, and biosecurity.

Full-time remote employment is indicated in the listing, while the role description also identifies an in-person Bay Area work location. Candidates should confirm the expected work arrangement during the recruitment process.