Leading Data-Driven Lab for AI Medicines

Inceptive · Palo Alto, CA

Posted 2/24/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

At Inceptive, you will help pioneer the next generation of AI-designed drugs, with the potential to positively impact billions of people, as part of a collaborative, antedisciplinary team. Training on natural and experimentally-derived data is a core aspect of how our AI models learn to generate therapeutic molecules with exceptional properties. We invest deeply in building and scaling data sources to train and evaluate our models for maximal performance. At the same time, careful validation in orthogonal, translationally-relevant assays is crucial to orient our models. We are seeking a senior scientific leader versed in high-throughput and translational biology to drive the continued growth and impact of our Palo Alto Lab. You will be a force multiplier for our scientists and engineers, ensuring a high standard of scientific rigor and output in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. You will also interface closely with our AI team to maximize the impact of internal data on Inceptive’s foundation models. Your Mission, should you choose to accept it Lead development and scale-up of high-throughput assays across in vitro, cellular, and in vivo systems, leveraging multiplexed assays and laboratory automation Define and execute a lab strategy aligned with Inceptive’s therapeutic and platform priorities, while remaining flexible as modality and partnership needs evolve Champion an antedisciplinary culture, encouraging curiosity, rigor, and collaboration across scientific boundaries Manage, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers that rapidly generates high-impact biological data to improve and validate AI design models Oversee the development of industry-standard validation assays to keep models and data generation aligned with downstream therapeutic application Qualifications PhD and 6+ years of post-PhD experience in industrial research applied to drug development Experience managing and mentoring a data-driven lab of 10+ scientists Experience using high-throughput and/or highly multiplexed assays to generate rich datasets from mammalian cells Proven ability to set scientific direction while also executing operationally Deep understanding of theory, techniques, and experimental design in molecular and cellular biology Visualization, analysis, and statistics applied to complex biological datasets 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 skills Translational experience with mRNA, oligonucleotides, or other genetic medicines Expertise in immunology and/or cell therapy Hands-on experience in RNA biology and biochemistry Scientific programming in Python Hands-on experience with modern data engineering workflows 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.