Strategic Projects Lead - Chemical Engineering

AfterQuery; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, D?n

401(k) with Employer Match

Daily UberEats Stipend

Monthly Wellness Stipend

Commute Covered

Job summary

AfterQuery in San Francisco is seeking an experienced engineer to own and architect core data infrastructure that powers our platform for foundation model development.

You will lead cross-domain teams, design dataset specifications, and shape training and evaluation of frontier models, while driving high-impact end-to-end projects.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in chemical/biomedical engineering in pharma or biotech settings.
• Strong understanding of chemistry and biology fundamentals with quantitative reasoning.
• Proven leadership and clear communication in cross-functional teams.
• Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Responsibilities

• Project and client management with top AI organizations.
• Lead and coordinate expert teams across domains.
• Design dataset specifications for model evaluation and improvement.
• Own projects end-to-end from scoping to delivery.
• Gain top-tier operational experience across multiple business areas.

Skills

Chemical engineering

Biomedical engineering

Biotech/pharma

Leadership

Communication

AI enthusiasm

Research publications

Education

MS/PhD in chemical/biomedical field

Tools

Claude Code

Aspen Plus

MATLAB

COMSOL

Bioinformatics pipelines

Job description

About AfterQuery

AfterQuery is an applied research lab curating data solutions for foundation model development. We serve every frontier AI lab with the mission of delivering the best data to power the best models. In doing so, we can make expertise that once took a lifetime to build available to anyone who needs it.

Our customers are the ones building the foundation models themselves and our work sits directly in the loop of how those systems improve. This is a rare opportunity to join a company at a defining moment in AI. Since raising our $30M Series A at a $300M valuation, AfterQuery has grown well over a $100M revenue run rate. We're based in San Francisco and backed by leading investors including Altos Ventures, BoxGroup, and Y Combinator and angels from Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta Superintelligence Labs, and Microsoft AI.

Why Apply

Massive Opportunity: We are one of the fastest-growing YC companies in our batch, and we believe we can become one of the fastest-growing YC companies of all time.

Founding Impact: You will own and architect core infrastructure systems that power our platform from the ground up.

Equity & Growth: Competitive salary and meaningful equity. As we scale, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the engineering organization and lead major technical initiatives.

Strong Team: Our founding team has experience from Citadel Securities, Meta, Google, Silver Lake, and Morgan Stanley — work alongside world-class engineers and researchers.

Key Responsibilities

Project and client management: Work with the world’s leading AI organizations to build next-generation data solutions that push the limits of model capability, while directly driving revenue.

Manage expert teams across domains: Lead and coordinate highly specialized contributors across fields like finance, software engineering, law, and more to create high-quality outputs at scale.

Shape how AI systems are trained: Design dataset specifications that directly influence how frontier models are evaluated and improved. Your taste and judgement will shape what foundation models become.

Drive high-impact execution end-to-end: Own critical projects from idea to delivery. From scoping, executing, iterating, and shipping in a fast-moving, high-stakes environment, you will touch it all.

Gain top tier operational experience: Support the team across a range of operational initiatives that will directly contribute to the future of AfterQuery. You will work across multiple parts of the business in the same week, ranging from building, analyzing, coordinating, and executing where needed most.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, biotech, pharma, or related process/life-sciences engineering roles at top companies, research labs, or clinical/hospital settings
• Background in chemical process design, biomedical devices, drug development, or related life-sciences engineering
• Deep understanding of chemistry and biology fundamentals along with quantitative process- and systems-level reasoning
• High agency and strong work ethic; comfort defining problems and thriving with minimal direction in ambiguous situations
• Demonstrated leadership excellence and strong communication abilities
• Genuine passion for AI and an entrepreneurial inclination
• Demonstrated competitive success (e.g., patents, publications, board/licensing exams, or top-tier academic/professional achievement)

Preferred Qualifications

• Python proficiency or experience with simulation and analysis tools (e.g., Aspen Plus, MATLAB, COMSOL, bioinformatics pipelines)
• Advanced degree (MS/PhD/MD) in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, or a related field
• Experience in the pharma, biotech, or medical-device industry
• Familiarity with Claude Code or similar AI-assisted workflows
• Experience across multiple engineering or life-sciences domain

Company Benefits (For Eligible Employees)

• Health Insurance: Medical, Vision, Dental
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• Daily Meals: Daily UberEats Stipend
• Monthly Wellness Stipend
• Commute Covered

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. Employment decisions are made without regard to legally protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local law.

We comply with applicable pay transparency requirements and provide compensation ranges based on the position, qualifications, experience, and other relevant factors. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities and for sincerely held religious beliefs, as required by law. This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed and is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions associated with the position. We reserve the right to modify this job description as business needs change.