Project Scientist

A Bit About Us

We are Arcadia Science, an evolutionary biology company founded and led by scientists. Our mission is to turn natural innovations into real-world solutions by developing systematic, and quantitative approaches to leveraging biology for therapeutics R&D. We share our research as openly as possible to accelerate discovery and engage with the broader scientific community.

We are seeking a Project Scientist to join our Pilot teams. Our Pilot teams quickly identify and validate innovative approaches and biological topics that will accelerate our basic and translational research.

Project Scientists will run rapid pilot studies, the goal of which is to prototype computational/experimental tools or test predictions in focus areas to accelerate biological discovery. Pilots drive the adoption of new technology and research topics within Arcadia and may also be a source of IP, licensing, and spin‑outs.

The Project Scientist will be expected to execute 4–5 pilots per year and should be able to identify key risks and optimize for “failing fast” so that they may pivot quickly between ambitious pursuits. At the end of each pilot, the Scientist will write up and publish their results. The ideal Project Scientist is independent, generative, rigorous, and can work as part of a highly collaborative and technically diverse team.

Short term Fellowships and Internships may be considered by exception.

• Work in coordination with current Project Scientists toward existing pilot goals
• Contribute to collaborative ideation around new pilots
• Familiarize themselves with internal platform capabilities

• Be able to pitch and lead research pilots
• Establish go/no‑go decision points for pilots
• Achieve baseline computational fluency required for effective collaborations (internal training is available)
• Be prepared to draft and publish pilots quickly

• Have completed three or more pilot cycles
• Have contributed positively to establishing a new line of inquiry or platform development at Arcadia
• Be eligible to pitch the expansion of a successful pilot effort

• PhD or equivalent experience in life sciences or related fields and at least three years of post‑PhD work experience in academia or industry
• Full‑time experience in an industry outside of academia is valued but not an absolute requirement
• Programming experience (Minimum: Python or R and bash)
• Basic knowledge of Git Hub
• Wet lab experience/expertise in some domain (could be at any biological scale)
• Experience leading collaborative initiatives (e.g., planning, prioritization, conflict resolution)
• Strong writing skills

The first thing we look for is technical talent at the leading edge of a field. To us, this means independent and generative scientists doing basic research that has the potential to produce evidence challenging standard practices. This is true for all of our roles: whether someone is an individual contributor or a people manager, we want researchers pushing their field forward.

More tactically, we are looking for people who are quick to act and can articulate themselves clearly through writing. Our team is flexible and often needs to pivot to match the pace of development at the cutting edge of multiple fields. Bias to action is key. Writing independently is crucial since we share everything we think is valuable to the community and will help us move our research forward.

We try to develop novel approaches for every aspect of our science, and everyone on our team is expected to innovate in their domain. This is not easy, and won’t be for everyone. We believe a culture where this is possible stems from how we act. You can learn more about our Operating Principles. You can also get a better sense of our values in practice through our blog posts, virtual open houses, and podcast interviews, which are linked here.

Successful applicants can expect to be compensated between $130,000-$180,000 with benefits and a highly competitive equity offering, depending on experience…