Building the Experimental Engine for Models of Life

Inceptive · Palo Alto, CA

Posted 8/13/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

Inceptive builds foundation models of life to enable medicines otherwise out of reach. We are seeking an exceptional scientific leader to build the experimental engine that trains, tests, and improves models that design medicines. You will integrate molecular and cellular biology, functional genomics, screening, automation, and therapeutic development into a coherent experimental platform. Working closely with ML and translational biology experts, you will design and pioneer experiments to most effectively expand our models’ understanding of life and ability to design better medicines. This is a role for a scientific builder: someone who can identify transformative experimental opportunities, rapidly onboard and, where necessary, invent the required technologies, and assemble outstanding teams to turn ambitious ideas into scalable systems. Responsibilities Define experimental strategy to close gaps in model understanding and therapeutic design performance Design experiments specifically to train and evaluate generative and predictive models, in close collaboration with biologists and ML experts Generate high-quality, model-ready data using scalable methods such as functional genomics, high-throughput screening, multi-omics, and phenotypic profiling Integrate assay development, automation, data generation, analysis, and interpretation in a fast-paced, collaborative environment Recruit and lead a multidisciplinary team of experimental scientists and technology builders Qualifications An outstanding record of innovation in highly scalable biological assays that advance the state-of-the-art in therapeutic discovery, molecular design, or functional genomics Deep understanding of how experimental design, measurement quality, and biological context determine what models can learn from data Excellent communication across discipline boundaries, including fluency in analyzing and visualizing complex biological data Availability to work with team members across US and Europe, with meetings starting at 7am PT Readiness to travel several times a year for company retreats and business events We value in-person collaboration and expect candidates to work at our lab location Preferred experience Leadership of a research team of 10+ scientists Hands-on experience in mammalian cell engineering, RNA biology, and biochemistry Hands-on experience using laboratory automation to scale up data generation Development of data-rich in vivo assays, eg, incorporating pooled libraries, single-cell analysis, or spatial profiling Compensation $245K – $305K + Bonus + Equity   What we offer A competitive compensation package 30 days paid vacation per year Comprehensive health insurance for US based Beginners 401K with company match for US based Beginners and Direktversicherung for German Beginners Quarterly company-wide retreats Monthly wellness benefit Budget for multiple visits per year to our offices in Berlin, Palo Alto or Switzerland Learning & Development budget to attend conferences, take courses, or otherwise invest in your professional growth, as well as access to the Learning & Development platform EdX and Hone A buddy to help you get settled *Varies by country and does not apply to internships At Inceptive, we are creating tools to develop increasingly powerful biological software for the rational design of novel, broadly accessible medicines and biotechnologies previously out of reach. Our team brings together vast expertise in molecular biology, machine learning, and software engineering, and we are all working towards becoming antedisciplinary, meaning we deepen the knowledge we have in our area of expertise while also expanding our knowledge of completely new fields. We approach our goals with a Beginner's mind, humbly and with fresh eyes, and aim to become the pioneers of a new discipline rooted in biology as much as in deep learning, whose impact will be realized together with out-of-the-box thinkers in business and entrepreneurship, defying established categorizations. We are building a company culture centered around growth, learning, and discovery. We believe in humility and open-mindedness in how we approach each other, as well as problems we don't yet have solutions for. It is the policy of Inceptive to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Inceptive prohibits any such discrimination or harassment. Inceptive is also committed to welcoming and providing accommodations to people with disabilities. Please let us know if you need any accommodations throughout your application process.

This role is published by Inceptive on greenhouse. SwiftFit is not the employer and does not accept applications.