Head of AI

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone.

The Team

CZI supports the science and technology that will make it possible to help scientists cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of this century. While this may seem like an audacious goal, in the last 100 years, biomedical science has made tremendous strides in understanding biological systems, advancing human health, and treating disease. 

Achieving our mission will only be possible if scientists are able to better understand human biology. To that end, we have identified four grand challenges that will unlock the mysteries of the cell and how cells interact within systems — paving the way for new discoveries that will change medicine in the decades that follow:

• Building an AI-based virtual cell model to predict and understand cellular behavior
• Developing state-of-the-art imaging systems to observe living cells in action
• Instrumenting tissues to better understand inflammation, a key driver of many diseases
• Engineering and harnessing the immune system for early detection, prevention, and treatment of disease

The Opportunity

We are looking for a visionary AI leader to guide the strategic, technical, and scientific direction of CZI’s science mission at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biomedical research. This role offers a unique opportunity to leverage the strength across CZI's four transformative Grand Challenges to achieve our mission to cure, prevent or manage all diseases in the next 10-20 years.

This is a generational opportunity to shape the future of biomedical science by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence. As Head of Science, you will lead at the frontier of discovery—where innovation in AI meets the complexity of biology to cure, prevent, and manage all disease within 10-20 years. 

What You'll Do

• Define and lead a bold scientific and technical, goals-based strategy that leverages AI to unlock new frontiers in biology and medicine.
• Oversee and scale high-risk, high-reward research programs, with the goal of catalyzing paradigm-shifting advances in human health.
• Build, mentor, and inspire multidisciplinary teams across machine learning, systems biology, imaging, immunology, and instrumentation.
• Shape and steward major philanthropic and research investments in alignment with scientific priorities.
• Forge and deepen partnerships across academia, biotech, philanthropy, and industry to accelerate knowledge transfer and real-world impact.
• Represent the scientific vision externally at global convenings and internally as a thought partner to executive leadership.

What You'll Bring

• Renowned leader in AI with deep expertise leading teams in complex areas of AI research with a goals-based orientation.
• Experience in computational biology, biomedical data science, systems biology, or genomics is preferred.
• PhD or equivalent experience in machine learning, bioinformatics, computer science, or a closely related field.
• A strong track record of leading ambitious, interdisciplinary research programs with tangible impact.
• Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and execution skills—with the ability to inspire world-class talent and steward major scientific investments.
• A passion for using technology to solve complex challenges in human health and well-being.

Compensation

The Redwood City, CA base pay range for this role is $1,072,000 - $1,394,000. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. 

Benefits for the Whole You 

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• CZI provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Annual benefit for employees that can be used most meaningfully for them and their families, such as housing, student loan repayment, childcare, commuter costs, or other life needs.
• CZI Life of Service Gifts are awarded to employees to “live the mission” and support the causes closest to them.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving to the Bay Area
• And more!

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

Explore our work modes, benefits, and interview process at www.chanzuckerberg.com/careers.

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