Senior R&D Engineer

We are looking for a Senior R&D Engineer to join our growing team! Reporting to the Chief Science Officer, you will work closely with various key stakeholders at the cutting edge of BenchSci to build proof-of-concepts and prototypes to solve challenging problems in bioinformatics. In this role, you will guide the successful execution of these prototypes into production-grade systems, which in turn will directly impact the 31,000+ life-scientists across the world who use our platform to fuel their research.

You Will:

• Design and execute experiments with various off-the-shelf ML models and training methods to determine evaluation criteria and select the best fit for each project
• Continuously track advancements in ML and AI, readily testing and applying new models to projects
• Integrate POCs into existing data tools and pipelines, and determine how existing pipelines and databases can be applied to discovery projects
• Leverage data from other teams to enhance discovery efforts
• Implement robust testing strategies and debug code errors efficiently to ensure data pipeline code quality
• Optimize ML pipelines for performance and scalability, balancing speed with code quality to minimize technical debt
• Utilize off-the-shelf models and APIs (e.g., LLM) to fine-tune models with datasets and creatively apply LLMs to build data collection pipelines with API calls
• Become an expert in at least one of the company's pipeline tools (Dataflow, BigQuery, Workflows) and master at least one internal pipeline tool (PipelinesV2, BQBT, Control Plane) to design and extend data models and data contracts owned by the team
• Actively collaborate with other teams, openly communicate successes and failures, and demonstrate a balanced approach to goal-setting that considers project complexities and resources
• Effectively communicate timelines and potential challenges to stakeholders, and proactively work with them to address concerns and ensure smooth transitions, especially during technology hand-offs and integrations
• Embrace a "fail fast" mentality, working independently and taking initiative to proactively test solutions, learn from failures, and effectively manage dependencies
• Be spontaneous and action-oriented, prioritizing action over extensive documentation, and timebox projects effectively, demonstrating a data-driven approach to success evaluation
• Develop and implement POC code quickly to demonstrate new ideas and applications, while ensuring code efficiency and scalability. Proactively test innovative code solutions and methodologies
• Collaboratively build components of a larger system without supervision, while minimizing technical debt and resolving system flaws. Maintain a comprehensive understanding of how individual components contribute to the overall system architecture
• Actively share R&D discoveries and knowledge across the organization, becoming a subject matter expert in at least one core language, framework, or technology used by the Discovery Team
• Showcase your expertise in the "discovery" codebase, stay updated on bleeding-edge technologies, and evaluate their potential application to existing projects while considering project requirements, stack considerations, and opportunity costs.

You Have:

• A MSc degree in life sciences (e.g. molecular genetics, cell biology, pharmacology, etc. ), PhD preferred
• 4+ years of experience as a professional developer
• Expertise in Python and programming fundamentals
• Expertise in intermediate/advanced SQL and BigQuery or similar serverless data warehousing solutions
• Experience with statistical analysis of datasets
• Experience with Large Language Models
• Experience with cloud reference architectures for common patterns in data pipelines
• Strong cross-team communication and collaboration skills.

Benefits and Perks: An engaging remote-first culture A great compensation package that includes BenchSci equity optionsA robust  vacation policy plus an additional vacation day every yearCompany closures for 14 more days throughout the yearFlex time for sick days, personal days, and religious holidaysComprehensive health and dental benefits.Annual learning & development budgetA one-time home office set-up budget to use upon joining BenchSciAn annual lifestyle spending account allowanceGenerous parental leave benefits with a top-up plan or paid time off optionsThe ability to save for your retirement coupled with a company match!
About BenchSci:BenchSci's mission is to exponentially increase the speed and quality of life-saving research and development. We empower scientists to run more successful experiments with the world's most advanced, biomedical artificial intelligence software platform. Backed by Generation Investment Management, TCV, Inovia, F-Prime, Golden Ventures, and Google's AI fund, Gradient Ventures, we provide an indispensable tool for scientists that accelerates research at 16 top 20 pharmaceutical companies and over 4,300 leading academic centers. We're a certified Great Place to Work®, and top-ranked company on Glassdoor.
Our Culture:BenchSci relentlessly builds on its strong foundation of culture. We put team members first, knowing that they're the organization's beating heart. We invest as much in our people as our products. Our culture fosters transparency, collaboration, and continuous learning. We value each other's differences and always look for opportunities to embed equity into the fabric of our work. We foster diversity, autonomy, and personal growth, and provide resources to support motivated self-leaders in continuous improvement. You will work with high-impact, highly skilled, and intelligent experts motivated to drive impact and fulfill a meaningful mission. We empower you to unleash your full potential, do your best work, and thrive. Here you will be challenged to stretch yourself to achieve the seemingly impossible.  Learn more about our culture.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: We're committed to creating an inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can thrive. We believe that improving diversity, equity and inclusion is our collective responsibility, and this belief guides our DEI journey.  Learn more about our DEI initiatives.
Accessibility Accommodations: Should you require any accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs. Please reach out to talent@benchsci.com.
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