Head of AI Protein Design

We are seeking a Head of AI Protein Design to join our team working at the interface of generative AI and protein design. You will play a key role in shaping our scientific strategy, conceiving of and delivering on protein design campaigns as part of AI model validation and customer facing projects, whilst leading a team of computational protein designers.

This is an opportunity to help shape and grow an organization that advances artificial intelligence and applies it to longstanding scientific challenges. Using your blend of computational expertise, in-depth biochemical and structural understanding of proteins as well as cutting edge experimental techniques, you will drive our real world validation and application efforts to design for and optimize proteins. You will closely collaborate with our Frontier AI Models unit and our Experimental Platform unit.

• You are a computational protein designer. You have a proven track record of successfully leveraging novel computational tools and your knowledge of biochemistry or structural biology to run large protein design campaigns You are routinely using computational metrics at scale in order to score designed proteins and derive insights from experimental results.

• You have deep experience with generative AI. You have deep hands-on experience using state of the art machine learning tools such as Alpha Fold, RF diffusion, Protein
  
  MPNN or similar models. Combined with your ability to build and train machine learning models from scratch, you are able to extend those models and tune them as required.

• You seek applied impact. You have a deep understanding of the practical requirements in drug discovery, such as the functional characteristics required of biologics. Combined with your knowledge of generative models you are able to devise protein design campaigns that aim for maximum applied impact.

• You are a successful scientist. You have a PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in artificial intelligence, computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, biochemistry, structural biology, physics, biophysics, bio/chem engineering, or a related field. Your research experience was in protein design using computational expertise.

• You are an owner. You have a proven track record of delivering successful commercial and / or academic research projects, demonstrated through publications, patents, and/or commercially impactful outcomes, as well as other contributions to the scientific community.

• You are a leader. You are a trusted leader who loves to inspire people and enable them to perform at their highest levels. You have managed interdisciplinary teams before, and have excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• You are a mission driven innovator. You are passionate about making a positive impact on the world, whether it's for patients, partners or beyond. You are motivated by the end goal and are flexible in adapting to different approaches and methodologies.

• You thrive in a dynamic and ambiguous environment. You excel in a fast-paced setting where goals must be achieved efficiently and urgently. You have a keen eye for creating, then optimizing processes to improve speed and repeatability. You are an advocate for lab automation, both through hardware and software.

• You have a background in industry, such as experience working on R&D programs in pharma, in the areas of Biologics (e.g. antibodies).

• You have deep experience with multiple design applications, such as antibodies and enzymes.

• You have helped scale a young biotech before. You have worked in startups and helped the company grow.

• Define and implement a roadmap of proof-of-concept strategies that will enable commercial business objectives:

  • Based on industry experience and deep scientific insight, propose experimental validation projects for testing our AI models.

  • Set objectives for protein design campaigns to support proof-of-concept projects and internal business objectives .

• Help to develop the protein design platform &…