Biological Safety Research Scientist

About the Role

We are looking for biological scientists to help build safety and oversight mechanisms for our AI systems. As a Safeguards Biological Safety Research Scientist, you will apply your technical skills to design and develop safety systems that detect harmful behaviors and prevent misuse by sophisticated threat actors. You will work at the forefront of defining responsible AI safety in the biological domain, translating complex biosecurity concepts into concrete technical safeguards.

• Design and execute capability evaluations to assess the capabilities of new models.
• Collaborate closely with threat‑modeling experts and ML engineers to develop training data and train safety systems, optimizing for robustness against adversarial attacks and low false‑positive rates.
• Analyze safety system performance in traffic, identify gaps, and propose improvements.
• Develop rigorous stress‑testing of safeguards against evolving threats and product surfaces.
• Partner with Research, Product, and Policy teams to embed biological safety throughout the model development lifecycle.
• Contribute to external communications, including model cards, blog posts, and policy documents related to biological safety.
• Monitor emerging technologies for new risks and mitigation strategies, strategically addressing them.

• A PhD in molecular biology, virology, microbiology, biochemistry, systems biology, computational biology, or a related life sciences field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Extensive experience in scientific computing and data analysis, with proficiency in programming (Python preferred).
• Deep expertise in modern biology, including both “reading” and “writing” techniques such as high‑throughput measurement, functional assays, gene synthesis, genome editing, strain construction, and protein engineering.
• Familiarity with dual‑use research concerns, select agent regulations, and biosecurity frameworks (e.g., Biological Weapons Convention, Australia Group guidelines).
• Strong analytical and writing skills, able to navigate ambiguity and explain complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders.
• A passion for learning new skills and the ability to adapt rapidly to changing techniques and technologies.
• Comfort working in a fast‑paced environment where priorities may shift as AI capabilities evolve.

• Background in AI/ML systems, particularly experience with large language models.
• Experience developing ML for biological systems.
• Extensive experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders.

Annual Salary: $300,000—$320,000 USD.

Education:

At least a Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience.

Location:

Hybrid policy. Staff are expected to be in one of our offices at least 25% of the time; some roles may require more in‑office time.

Visa Sponsorship:
We sponsor visas and will make a reasonable effort to obtain a visa if you receive an offer.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits, optional equity donation matching, generous vacation and parental leave, flexible working hours, and a collaborative office environment.