Principal Scientist, Machine Learning, Genomics

Flagship Pioneering
Location
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Job Type
Full-time
Posted
May 22, 2026
Views
5
Salary Range
$208k - $286k USD

Job Description

ABOUT PIONEERING INTELLIGENCE  Pioneering Intelligence builds on Flagship Pioneering’s legacy of founding cutting-edge science and computational ventures, harnessing recent advances in AI, machine learning, and data to accelerate fundamental research and create a portfolio of AI-first companies.

As part of Flagship’s integrated model of science, entrepreneurship, and capital, it transforms breakthrough ideas into world-changing companies, elevating the AI advances happening across the ecosystem in human health, sustainability, and beyond.

THE ROLE We are seeking a Principal Scientist (Embedded ML/Computational) to lead multiple AI/ML or computational projects across early stage ventures, as a part of Flagship’s company origination process.

You will define and deliver pragmatic AI strategies, oversee method and platform development (e.g., systems design, drug design, molecular modeling, systems biology, protein design, LLM/agentic workflows), and ensure rigor in model development, benchmarking, scaling, and reporting.

You will manage cross functional contributors as applicable, influence company direction, and represent PI to venture teams and external partners. The ideal candidate is a self-directed serial deep diver - someone who can move from protein design one week to mass spec or docking pipelines the next and then spin up LLM based agents that automate scientific workflows.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Program Leadership : Lead development, implementation, control, and reporting of several AI/ML or computational projects within assigned ventures in line with broader strategic plans of PI and Flagship, budgets, and timelines.   Technical Ownership : Take a specialized technical role on project teams to oversee method development, pipeline development, and LLM based agent/workflow design; drive benchmarking, scaling, and implementation into production grade systems.   Best Practices: promote operational excellence in AI projects by educating cross-functional collaborators.   Team Leadership : Manage and/or coordinate internal and external scientists/engineers and crossfunctional project teams as applicable; mentor early hires; support recruiting and interview.   Planning & Resourcing : Contribute to project planning, including budgets, resources, and timelines; surface risks and tradeoffs early with clear options.   Landscape & Strategy : Independently scout emerging literature and the AI/ML landscape; synthesize concepts to propose new development strategies and identify opportunities for PI and venture portfolios.   Representation & Community : Represent PI to portfolio companies and external partners; act as a recognized subject matter expert; actively participate in scientific conferences and meetings.   Communication & Influence : Influence the course of projects and technical approaches; adapt and present complex findings to diverse audiences to support meaningful interpretation and action.   PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS  Master’s, or PhD in a relevant field (e.g., machine learning, mathematics, statistics, computational sciences) with 5+ years' experience scientific/engineering/computational in academic, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology settings; industry AI/ML experience preferred.   Experience driving results directly or indirectly through teams of engineers/scientists in dynamic, fastpaced, entrepreneurial, and technical environments.   Clear evidence of sustained independent thought and creativity driving high impact, cross disciplinary AI/ML projects.   Successful track record of leadership and contribution to decision making on progression of AI/ML models within projects or programs.   Depth across multiple core tools and concepts, including Python; modern ML frameworks (PyTorch or JAX/TensorFlow); version control; databases; deep learning architectures; and relevant informatics software.   Consistent record of outstanding performance reflected in publications, patents, or high impact internal reports where applicable

ABOUT PIONEERING INTELLIGENCE  Pioneering Intelligence builds on Flagship Pioneering’s legacy of founding cutting-edge science and computational ventures, harnessing recent advances in AI, machine learning, and data to accelerate fundamental research and create a portfolio of AI-first companies.

As part of Flagship’s integrated model of science, entrepreneurship, and capital, it transforms breakthrough ideas into world-changing companies, elevating the AI advances happening across the ecosystem in human health, sustainability, and beyond.

THE ROLE We are seeking a Principal Scientist (Embedded ML/Computational) to lead multiple AI/ML or computational projects across early stage ventures, as a part of Flagship’s company origination process.

You will define and deliver pragmatic AI strategies, oversee method and platform development (e.g., systems design, drug design, molecular modeling, systems biology, protein design, LLM/agentic workflows), and ensure rigor in model development, benchmarking, scaling, and reporting.

You will manage cross functional contributors as applicable, influence company direction, and represent PI to venture teams and external partners. The ideal candidate is a self-directed serial deep diver - someone who can move from protein design one week to mass spec or docking pipelines the next and then spin up LLM based agents that automate scientific workflows.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Program Leadership : Lead development, implementation, control, and reporting of several AI/ML or computational projects within assigned ventures in line with broader strategic plans of PI and Flagship, budgets, and timelines.   Technical Ownership : Take a specialized technical role on project teams to oversee method development, pipeline development, and LLM based agent/workflow design; drive benchmarking, scaling, and implementation into production grade systems.   Best Practices: promote operational excellence in AI projects by educating cross-functional collaborators.   Team Leadership : Manage and/or coordinate internal and external scientists/engineers and crossfunctional project teams as applicable; mentor early hires; support recruiting and interview.   Planning & Resourcing : Contribute to project planning, including budgets, resources, and timelines; surface risks and tradeoffs early with clear options.   Landscape & Strategy : Independently scout emerging literature and the AI/ML landscape; synthesize concepts to propose new development strategies and identify opportunities for PI and venture portfolios.   Representation & Community : Represent PI to portfolio companies and external partners; act as a recognized subject matter expert; actively participate in scientific conferences and meetings.   Communication & Influence : Influence the course of projects and technical approaches; adapt and present complex findings to diverse audiences to support meaningful interpretation and action.   PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS  Master’s, or PhD in a relevant field (e.g., machine learning, mathematics, statistics, computational sciences) with 5+ years' experience scientific/engineering/computational in academic, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology settings; industry AI/ML experience preferred.   Experience driving results directly or indirectly through teams of engineers/scientists in dynamic, fastpaced, entrepreneurial, and technical environments.   Clear evidence of sustained independent thought and creativity driving high impact, cross disciplinary AI/ML projects.   Successful track record of leadership and contribution to decision making on progression of AI/ML models within projects or programs.   Depth across multiple core tools and concepts, including Python; modern ML frameworks (PyTorch or JAX/TensorFlow); version control; databases; deep learning architectures; and relevant informatics software.   Consistent record of outstanding performance reflected in publications, patents, or high impact internal reports where applicable

Preferred Qualifications   Breadth across domains such as protein modeling/design, proteomics/mass spec, cheminformatics/docking/ADMET, biophysics/MD, and LLM/agentic automation.   MLOps expertise: data contracts and lineage (e.g., DVC/LakeFS), experiment tracking (MLflow/W&B), secure AWS infrastructure (S3, Batch/ECS/EKS, SageMaker), Docker, IaC (Terraform/CDK), and CI/CD (GitHub Actions).   Generative modeling (diffusion/flow/VAEs) for sequences, graphs, or 3D structures; docking rescoring (e.g., gnina, DiffDock) and pose quality metrics.   Workflow orchestration (Airflow/Prefect/Argo), data warehouses (Redshift/Snowflake), vector search (FAISS/pgvector), and lightweight internal tools (FastAPI, Streamlit/Gradio).   Experience mentoring early hires, acting as interim Head of ML, and contributing to hiring plans and interview processes at startups.   WHY PIONEERING INTELLIGENCE Operate at the frontier : Build and deploy AI/ML that directly powers discovery and decision making across multiple new ventures.   Own the full stack : From scoping and data contracts to models, MLOps, and internal UIs—ship endtoend systems that scientists rely on daily.   Compound impact : Convert one off wins into shared libraries and templates adopted across the PI portfolio.   Work with founders : Partner closely with venture leadership and PI platform engineers; influence strategy through hands on delivery.   Grow fast : Stretch across domains, take on situational leadership, present at conferences, and help shape first ML teams.   ABOUT FLAGSHIP PIONEERING: Flagship Pioneering invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health, sustainability and beyond.

Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated more than 100 companies. Many of these companies have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.   Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com. At Flagship, we accept impossible missions to enable bigger leaps. Our core values guide us through uncertainty and toward lasting impact. We are an

equal opportunity employer . All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We recognize that great candidates often bring unique strengths without fulfilling every qualification .

If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your background and interest in Flagship.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies : Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team.

Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto. #LI-MB1 The salary range for this role is $208,000 - $286,000. Compensation for

the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Pioneering Intelligence currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits.

Compensation and benefits information is based on Pioneering Intelligence’s good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.

Privacy Notice for Applicants:  When you apply for a role at Flagship Pioneering or one of its portfolio companies, we collect and use personal information you provide (such as your name, contact details, work history, and application materials) to evaluate your application, communicate with you, and comply with legal obligations.

Your application data is processed through Greenhouse, our applicant tracking system, and may also be reviewed using AI-assisted screening tools. We do not sell your personal information. California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know, delete, and opt out of the sharing of their personal information.

If you are located in the EU or UK, we process your data under GDPR and you have rights to access, rectify, and erase your data. To exercise your rights or for questions, contact privacy@flagshippioneering.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is this job located, and what is the work arrangement?
This position is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
What are the key responsibilities for this role?
You will lead AI/ML or computational projects, oversee method and platform development, ensure rigor in model development, manage cross-functional contributors, and represent Pioneering Intelligence to venture teams and external partners.
What qualifications are required for this role?
A Master’s or PhD in a relevant field with 5+ years' experience in a scientific/engineering/computational setting is required. Industry AI/ML experience is preferred.
What is the salary range for this position?
The salary range for this role is $208,000 - $286,000, dependent on qualifications and experience.
What benefits are offered with this position?
Pioneering Intelligence currently offers healthcare coverage, an annual incentive program, retirement benefits, and a broad range of other benefits.
What is the company's policy on unsolicited resumes from agencies?
Flagship Pioneering does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies unless contacted by their Talent Acquisition team. Any unsolicited resumes become the property of FSP, and no fees will be owed.

Ready to Apply?

Apply for this Position

You'll be redirected to the company's application page

Share this job:

Job Information

Source: builtin
Remote Type: onsite
Allowed Locations: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Skills & Tags:
boston biotech

Get Similar Jobs by Email

Weekly digest of Flagship Pioneering and similar companies. Free.

Related Jobs

Get weekly job alerts