Genomic Biosecurity Scientist

We will offer a referral bonus of up to $4,500 for this position; see here for more details.

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  • Project/division: Nucleic Acid Observatory
  • Start date: as soon as possible
  • Status: full-time SecureBio employee
  • Starting compensation: $110,000 to $140,000; we may make exceptions for outstanding candidates
  • Visa sponsorship available: Yes
  • Work location: In-person in Cambridge, MA

The role

The Nucleic Acid Observatory is building a pathogen-agnostic early warning system to protect the world from catastrophic pandemics. As advances in biotechnology lower the barriers to engineering pathogens, our mission is to ensure humanity’s detection and alert systems are ready. We develop systems that identify novel threats early – including those spreading without obvious symptoms. As part of this mission, we operate a pilot biosurveillance network that performs weekly metagenomic sequencing of wastewater and nasal swabs to screen for engineered threats.

We’re looking for a Genomic Biosecurity Scientist to investigate flagged sequences and evaluate their threat level. Each flagged sequence is a puzzle: What are the components of this sequence? Is it real or an artifact? If it’s real, where does it come from? How scary is it – could this cause harm, and if so, how? As these puzzles are solved, you’ll identify common patterns and work with our computational team to implement automations, saving your time for the most difficult and important cases. Alongside this work, you’ll help develop playbooks and procedures for responding to urgent flags.

Responsibilities

  • Investigate flagged potentially-threatening genomic data: identify likely origins, infer function, and evaluate threat level for downstream response.

  • Collaborate with the computational and wet-lab teams to develop, test, and optimize automated decision-making pipelines, continuously improving sensitivity and specificity based on analysis of urgent and routine anomalies.

  • Create comprehensive assessments and reports translating technical genomic findings into actionable insights.

  • Support the Head of Biosecurity Response by providing clear, biologically-informed evaluations for external communication and action planning.

  • Work with the Head of Biosecurity Response to develop our response protocols, including training on-call staff and building networks of external evaluators.

  • Maintain and update documentation related to genomic evaluation processes.

  • Occasionally investigate concerning flagged sequences outside normal work hours. (To date, this has come up less than once a quarter.)

Competencies and qualifications

Required

  • PhD in virology or synthetic biology with viral models, or equivalent practical experience.

  • Deep understanding of viral genetic engineering techniques and synthetic biology.

  • Basic programming and bioinformatics skills.

  • Strong written and oral communication abilities, especially the capacity to communicate complex genomic findings clearly to diverse stakeholders.

  • Comfortable handling confidential and sensitive biosecurity information with discretion.

  • Agency and independence, particularly the ability to manage deep investigations and champion process improvements.

Preferred

  • Experience with bioinformatics tools and techniques relevant to metagenomic analysis.

  • Experience with computational pipeline development and optimization.

  • Familiarity with metagenomic sequencing technologies.

  • Experience with cutting-edge AI tooling, including both general purpose LLMs and biological design tools.

  • Experience in biosecurity, biosurveillance, or public health preparedness.

Salary and benefits

This is a full-time, in-person role, reporting to senior NAO computational staff in our Cambridge, Massachusetts office. The starting salary range is $110,000 to $140,000 per annum, depending on prior experience. There may be flexibility in salary for exceptional candidates with significant relevant experience.

Our employee benefits reflect our belief in investing to build the strongest possible team, in which everyone receives the trust and support they need to excel. Our benefits package includes:

  • Comprehensive healthcare

    Comprehensive healthcare coverage, including health, dental & vision insurance, as well as a yearly mental health allowance for every employee.

  • Flexible work schedule

    Flexible work hours; unlimited paid time off (PTO) for all employees; and minimum 12 weeks fully-paid parental leave.

  • World-class office

    An exceptional working environment in our Kendall Square office, including high-quality ergonomic office equipment, snacks, and daily catered lunches.

  • Development opportunities

    Generous professional development opportunities, including fully-paid conference sponsorships and a yearly development allowance for every employee.

  • 401(k)

    Employer 401(k) match up to 4% of total salary.

  • Relocation & commuter support

    Free commuter benefits, plus a generous relocation allowance for employees who move to the Boston area

Application process

We will review applications on a rolling basis, and are looking for someone to start as soon as possible.

After considering your written application, we may invite you to a short screening interview. High-performing candidates may be invited to further interviews, followed by an in-person work trial in our Cambridge, MA office. We will also require two to three reference checks. 

We’re committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, gender minorities, and people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission, and are happy to consider applicants from overseas. We’re an equal opportunity employer.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, or have any other questions about applying, please contact [email protected].

Referral bonus

We offer a referral bonus of up to $4,500 to individuals who refer successful candidates for this position:

  • If you refer a candidate that we invite to a technical interview, you will receive $100;
  • If you refer a candidate that we invite to an in-person work trial, you will receive a further $500, for a total of $600;
  • If the candidate accepts a job offer from us, you will receive a further $1700, for a total of $2,300;
  • If the candidate is still working with us after three months, you will receive a further $2,200, for a total of $4,500.

To receive these bonuses, we must reasonably believe that you were responsible for referring the candidate to us (e.g. due to you introducing them to us when we didn’t previously know them, or them mentioning you on their application as the reason they heard about the position).