Job Description

InstaDeep, founded in 2014, is a pioneering AI company at the forefront of innovation. With strategic offices in major cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Berlin, Tunis, Kigali, Cape Town, New York, and San Francisco, InstaDeep collaborates with giants like Google DeepMind and prestigious educational institutions like MIT, Stanford, Oxford, UCL, and Imperial College London. We are a Google Cloud Partner and a select NVIDIA Elite Service Delivery Partner. We have been listed among notable players in AI, fast-growing companies, and Europe's 1000 fastest-growing companies in 2022 by Statista and the Financial Times. Our recent acquisition by BioNTech has further solidified our commitment to leading the industry.

Join us to be a part of the AI revolution!

We are seeking Applied Research Scientists and Senior Applied Research Scientists with expertise in software development for cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to join our world-class, multi-disciplinary team. This role sits at the intersection of deep scientific research and practical product development, aimed at building cutting-edge AI models to revolutionize structure determination by cryo-EM and deploying them to researchers accelerating drug discovery and advancing the life sciences.

Applied Research Scientists at InstaDeep leverage their deep domain-specific expertise and collaborate with AI researchers and engineers in-house to build state-of-the-art tools that solve critical challenges end-users face. This position demands close collaboration across AI research, electron microscopy data acquisition and processing, and software engineering, and is conducted in close collaboration with strategic partners like BioNTech. Success in this role requires a passion for bridging the gap between theoretical innovation and real-world application, and the ability to thrive in a highly collaborative and cross-functional environment.

Responsibilities

Drive the development and advance the state-of-the-art in software and algorithms for structure determination by cryo-EM. Design, implement, and evaluate proof-of-concept methods and benchmarking experiments using approaches from computer vision, generative AI (e.g., diffusion models, flow matching), optimization, and related modern machine learning techniques. Create, curate, and manage high-quality, large-scale datasets essential for training and evaluating multimodal biological models. Leverage both classical and machine learning-based approaches for tasks such as reconstruction of conformationally and compositionally heterogeneous single-particle cryo-EM datasets, automation of in-situ data collection, or identification of macromolecules in cryo-ET data. Collaborate closely with research engineers and external collaborators (e.g., BioNTech) to transition research concepts into robust, scalable products. Contribute to and help shape the long-term research vision for AI-driven biological discovery and therapeutics. (For Senior roles) Lead and scope research directions, manage complex projects end-to-end, and mentor junior team members.

Requirements

PhD in Structural Biology (with a focus on cryo-EM), Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Physics, or a related scientific field, or equivalent industry experience. Strong programming skills, especially in Python, with hands-on experience using deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, JAX, or similar libraries. Proven experience applying classical computer vision and modern deep learning algorithms to biological problems, ideally within the broad field of structural biology (or cryo-EM related imaging modality). Deep understanding of the cryo-EM structure determination workflow (including single-particle analysis and tomography), its key bottlenecks, and user requirements. Demonstrated ability to design and execute computational experiments, and to analyze, interpret, and clearly communicate results to diverse audiences.

Additional Requirements for Senior Applied Research Scientist

Significant relevant experience (e.g., 3+ years post-PhD in an industrial or fast-paced academic setting). Demonstrated leadership in defining and executing impactful research projects from ideation to delivery. Proven track record of high-impact contributions (either through top-tier publications in relevant journals/conferences or the development of widely adopted software tools). Experience mentoring junior researchers and engineers. Strong ability to bridge communication gaps between domain experts (e.g., structural biologists) and machine learning engineers.

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on experience with the internals of modern cryo-EM software packages (e.g., RELION, cryoSPARC, EMAN2, Dynamo). Experience with cryo-Electron Tomography data processing, subtomogram averaging, and analysis and/or equivalent experience for single-particle cryo-EM. Familiarity with software engineering best practices (Git, CI/CD, testing) and experience contributing to large-scale open-source projects or production environments. Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and cloud platforms (e.g., GCP, AWS).

Our commitment to our people

We empower individuals to celebrate their uniqueness here at InstaDeep. Our team comes from all walks of life, and we're proud to continue encouraging and supporting applicants from underrepresented groups across the globe. Our commitment to creating an authentic environment comes from our ability to learn and grow from our diversity, and how better to experience this than by joining our team? We operate on a hybrid work model with guidance to work at the office 3 days per week to encourage close collaboration and innovation. We are continuing to review the situation with the well-being of InstaDeepers at the forefront of our minds.

Right to work:

Please note that you will require the legal right to work without visa sponsorship in the location you are applying for. We do not sponsor work visas.