Job Details

Principal AI Engineer

ABOUT US

Synthesize Bio is an early stage startup using generative AI to fundamentally change life sciences research and accelerate the pace of biomedical discovery.

Genomic data are at the heart of most modern molecular studies and tools, from basic research to clinical decision support, but these data are hard to work with. Genomic data require expensive laboratories, sophisticated computational infrastructure, and big teams to produce and analyze. Generating and analyzing genomic data takes weeks or months. We're building generative AI models to cut that time down to minutes or hours.

Our platform addresses a huge need in the large and rapidly growing use of genomics in research, from basic science to therapeutic development. mRNA therapeutics alone - a subset of the overall market we serve - is projected to be a $100 billion market by 2026. This is an opportunity to be part of a mission to transform life sciences R&D by dramatically accelerating the pace of discovery.

WHO WE ARE

Our team has dedicated their careers to moving the needle in biomedical research and education and has a deep understanding of how to build a transformative product in this space. Our founders each have ~20 years of experience in life sciences, genomic data generation and analysis, and AI/ML and data science. Our team has leading experts in the design, execution, collection, and application of AI/ML methods to large biological studies; has previously led and scaled startups; and are experts in scientific training and enablement. We have lived the problem and are ready to solve it!

WHAT YOU'LL DO IN THIS ROLE

We are looking for a Principal AI Researcher who wants to join our mission and be an early part of building our AI-powered platform at the intersection of machine learning and life sciences discovery.

Your key goals in this role are to:

• Lead the technical execution of key generative AI research projects.
• Develop, train, and deploy foundational generative models for experimental biology data into production.
• Help shape the AI/ML program's long-term technical vision.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior team members, including on other technical teams (e.g. software devs and computational biologists)

You will be a key player on the AI team and:

• Lead innovative efforts in applying recent developments in the AI/ML literature to develop models that accelerate drug development.
• Successfully build and deploy generative foundation models for experimental biology
• Actively contribute to technical vision and roadmap development.
• Set technical standards for model training, MLOps, and deployment in the cloud.
• Proactively collaborate with other teams to integrate AI models into the broader platform.

QUALIFICATIONS

The Principal AI Researcher is a senior role on our team and is a good fit for candidates who are eager to apply their experience as both an individual contributor and as a technical leader who guides more junior team members, including those on other teams.

TECH SKILLS

• Experience with developing AI/ML models to advance drug development or clinical research.
• Knowledge of NGS data (pre-clinical genomic or transcriptomic) or proteomic data
• Experience training AI/ML models with AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform
• Development experience with PyTorch, Tensorflow, JAX, or similar
• Knowledge of key MLOps, including model training, hosted inference options, and batch/stream processing
• Experience deploying AI/ML models in production environments

EXPERIENCE

• Proven track record of successfully developing AI/ML models in a relevant domain (e.g. biomedicine, life science, healthcare)
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects, implement state-of-the-art research (e.g., generative models/diffusion/transformers), and deliver measurable results in a technically rigorous environment
• Experience contributing to the technical vision and roadmap of an AI product or platform
• Experience publishing in the AI/ML literature and implementing/developing new methodology based on research ideas

APPROACH

• Focused on innovation and development rooted in practical applications
• Open-minded and adaptable; willingness and ability to change focus and direction quickly in response to product/market demands
• Comfortable working in close collaboration with the team and independently
• Strong communication and desire to be a key player on a small, devoted team

Preference if you also have:

• Experience fine-tuning and prompting Large Language Models.
• Experience managing model experimentation, development, and evaluation.
• Building models that are relevant to highly technical scientific domains.
• Understanding of or interest in computational genomics and applications of AI to biology.

The best candidates do not always match the job description completely. If you do not meet all the required qualifications, are excited about our vision, and feel that you could be a valuable asset to our team, please apply and explain how you would address those gaps.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE WORKING WITH US

Our founders have strong reputations as thoughtful, forward-thinking colleagues and mentors who cultivate talent. We'll think intentionally and collaboratively about your career and how we build our team. Our founders' experiences in workforce development and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our approach.

• Impact - Our technology will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and therapy development to advance human health. This is an opportunity to build something from the ground up in a space that has a real, positive impact.
• Early employee impact - As a member of the very early team, you will play a pivotal role in helping shape our product, team, and culture. For the rest of our days, no matter how many thousands of people join after you, you will always have that honor and distinction. It looks great on a resume, too.
• Early stage equity - A benefit of joining early. None of us (neither our founders nor our investors) would be here if we didn't think that our company will create tremendous value over time.
• Flexible location and hours - We are whole people with whole lives and expect that you are, too. We'll trust each other to make progress as a team, in times and places that work for everyone. Travel to Seattle will be required quarterly - it's a beautiful city!
• Visa support - We cannot provide visa support at this time.

TIMELINE

Interviews will start in mid November 2025 and continue on a rolling basis.

SALARY & BENEFITS

• $170-250K salary plus equity options
• 100% employer paid health insurance premiums, 50% dependents
• 401k plan access (non-matching)
• Gym access for Seattle-based employees