Machine Learning Scientist​/Sr. Scientist - Drug Target Discovery

Overview

Syst Immune is a leading and well-funded clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with locations in Redmond, WA and Princeton, NJ. We focus on developing innovative cancer treatments using our platforms for bi-specific, multispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). We have assets in various stages of clinical trials for solid tumor and hematologic indications, plus a robust preclinical pipeline representing cutting-edge biologics development. We offer opportunities to learn and grow while contributing to the company’s success.

We are expanding our AI and computational discovery team and are seeking a Machine Learning Frontier Scientist/Sr. Scientist with a proven track record applying AI to drug development, specifically in target discovery, antibody or ADC engineering, and cancer immunotherapy. This is not a data management role. The ideal candidate will bring domain-specific expertise in oncology, immunology, or protein therapeutics and be comfortable operating at the frontier of ML applications in therapeutic design.

• Drug Target Discovery:
  Develop and apply ML/AI methods to identify and prioritize novel drug targets, including T cell engagers, ADCs, and multispecific antibodies
• Therapeutic Design:
  Engineer and optimize therapeutic strategies using ML models, including payload strategies and checkpoint combinations for cancer indications
• Model Development:
  Build scalable and interpretable machine learning models (e.g., DL, VAEs, GNNs) using public and internal multi-omics, structural, and clinical datasets
• Data Mining for Oncology:
  Analyze complex datasets (RNA-seq, proteomics, perturbation, clinical trial data) to generate actionable insights into cancer biology and treatment response
• Cross-functional Collaboration:
  
  Work closely with protein engineers, immunologists, and translational scientists to integrate AI-driven hypotheses into the drug pipeline
• Scientific Feedback Loop:
  Interpret outputs from ML models and guide experimental validation, providing insight into feasibility, mechanistic pathways, and therapeutic relevance

• PhD or Master’s in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, or a related field
• 5+ years of industry experience in drug discovery or therapeutic development required
• Strong experience with drug development platforms, ideally including target selection/validation and biologic modality development (ADC, TCE, antibodies)
• Demonstrated application of ML/AI to therapeutic R&D (e.g., gene expression modeling, target nomination, protein interaction prediction)
• Familiarity with oncology-focused discovery, especially involving immune checkpoints, payload strategies, or tumor-specific targets
• Hands-on proficiency with Python, R, PyTorch or Tensor Flow, and related bioinformatics/ML tools
• Exposure to protein structure modeling or antibody engineering is highly desirable
• Experience with multi-modal data integration, including single-cell, bulk RNA-seq, proteomics, or clinical data

• Prior work on T cell engagers, ADC programs, or bispecific antibodies
• Understanding of protein-ligand interactions, payload selection, or immune checkpoint design
• Knowledge of tools such as Alpha Fold, Rosetta, Diff Dock, or protein language models
• Experience working with drug development platforms across cancer and other disease areas

• Generalist data scientists or clinical data managers without direct therapeutic development experience
• Candidates lacking domain exposure to biologics, oncology, or drug platform work

• The opportunity to directly impact first-in-class cancer immunotherapies
• A collaborative and fast-moving environment bridging biology, engineering, and AI
• Access to internal pipelines, multi-omics data, and wet-lab teams for experimental feedback
• Competitive salary, stock options, and onsite culture in Redmond, WA

The expected base salary range for this position is $100,000 - $180,000 annually. Actual compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to a candidate’s qualifications, experience, and skills.

While most offers typically fall within the low to mid-point of the range, we may extend an offer toward the higher end for exceptional candidates whose background and expertise exceeds the requirements of the role.

Syst Immune is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome diverse talent and encourage all qualified applicants to apply.

Note:

This description reflects the current job and may be updated periodically. Syst Immune is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.