Computational and Experimental Scientist

ABOUT THE ROLE This role owns the full design-make-test-model loop at an early-stage AI-driven protein and peptide engineering company: you will run and improve pocket-conditioned discrete diffusion models for sequence design and personally execute the binding kinetics that close the loop. You will sit on a lean core team reporting directly to the CEO, making this one of the highest-leverage scientific roles at the company. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Improve and extend proprietary diffusion and companion folding models with architectural refinements, new attention heads, and hierarchical reasoning. - Operate an ML inference platform at scale and diagnose usage patterns across signups, churn, and customer segments. - Own fluid-handling robotics and plate automation (Hamilton, Tecan, Opentrons, or equivalent) and ship reliable, production-ready protocols. - Own BLI and SPR end-to-end: assay design, immobilization, regeneration, referencing, dilution series, kinetic fitting, QC, and failure-mode diagnosis. - Write detailed cloud-lab protocols and manage internal screening instrumentation. - Work the full stack from receptor biology and protein structure through scoring functions to platform outputs that scientists will actually use. - Close design loops: take sequences from the platform, run kinetics, update the model, and ship improved sequences. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - 2+ years building or operating discrete diffusion models, protein language models (such as ESM or ProtT5), or structure prediction systems in a real make-test-model cycle, not academic papers or public fine-tunes. - Personally written and debugged liquid-handler protocols on robotic platforms and shipped them to production, not supervised a core facility. - Personally fitted BLI or SPR kinetic curves end-to-end and diagnosed failure modes: mass transport, tip avidity, nonspecific binding, aggregation, hook effect, bad referencing. - Proficiency coding robot methods and analyzing kinetic data in Python or equivalent scripting. - Demonstrated ability to close a full loop: design sequences, synthesize or express, measure kinetics, update the model, iterate. - Comfortable treating protein language models and sequence design tools (such as RFdiffusion or BindCraft equivalents) as inputs and outputs, not black boxes. - Strong background in biology, biochemistry, or a closely related life-sciences field. - Operator mentality: resourceful, action-oriented, comfortable executing at odd hours to have data ready the next day. - Background in gene editing, gene therapy, or receptor trafficking is a plus. - Prior experience at biotech accelerators or early-stage biotech startups is a plus. COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Initial consulting engagement: $3,000 to $5,000 per month. Full-time conversion: base salary $80,000 to $200,000 depending on profile, with meaningful equity and deal-contingent upside. No visa sponsorship available. LOCATION Hybrid in New York, NY. On-site presence will increase once internal screening instrumentation is operational (expected within 3 to 6 months).