Senior Research Scientist - Large Language Models & Generative AI

About the role

We’re seeking an experienced Research Scientist to pursue bold and high-risk research endeavors supporting our mission of industrializing scientific discovery to radically improve lives. We're looking for individuals who possess the ability to own, pursue, and clearly communicate a research agenda, including carrying out long-running projects independently or in a team. This multifaceted role combines the need for a deep understanding of state‑of‑the‑art machine learning algorithms, exceptional problem‑solving and engineering skills, and experience in the computational life sciences.

In this role, you will:

• Join one of Valence Labs' Research Units, driving ambitious frontier research within the domain of ML for drug discovery.
• Lead new research projects at the intersection of NLP, Generative AI, LLMs and drug discovery, leveraging your extensive expertise to devise, evaluate, and help deploy innovative and field‑leading ML solutions.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers both internally and externally to identify unique challenges and opportunities for ML in drug discovery.
• Work in a highly supportive, interdisciplinary environment, providing the intellectual freedom of academia with the resources and stability of industry.
• Present and communicate research findings through talks, blog posts, publications, and conferences.

Qualifications

A successful candidate will have most of the following:

• PhD with significant academic and industry research experience in a related technical field involving generative AI (inclusive of LLM) technologies.
• A proven track record of impactful machine learning research, including designing new models to advance the field of Generative AI and the development of novel algorithms to improve the speed and efficiency of generative AI systems, particularly in the fields of life sciences or drug discovery.
• Strong technical and engineering skills, including the ability to rapidly prototype ML solutions.
• Comfort working cross‑functionally with interdisciplinary teams of dry and wet scientists.
• Experience in project supervision, leadership, or management, including 1) lead authorship in publications at peer‑reviewed conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, or similar) and/or journals, 2) acting as a scientific advisor in productizing LLM systems.

Nice to have

• Scientific knowledge of biology, chemistry, or physics, along with previous experience working in a scientific environment across disciplines.

Valence Labs is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment, where understanding and accommodating personal needs and preferences is a priority. Join our multidisciplinary team of passionate researchers, eager to push the boundaries of ML research and contribute to industrializing scientific discovery to radically improve lives.