The posting
With the world's largest database of more than eleven million genotyped participants, the 23andMe Research Institute is at the forefront of using human genetics to advance biomedical research and transform healthcare. We are seeking a Director-level Principal Investigator to establish and lead our AI innovation efforts, building population-scale foundation models on a data substrate that exists nowhere else.
Who We Are
We are a group of individuals passionate about genetic discovery. 23andMe Research Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that enables people everywhere to access their genetic information, learn about themselves, and participate in the world's largest crowdsourced research initiative. The Institute aims to be the world's most significant contributor to scientific advancement, uniting people with the common goal of improving health and deepening our understanding of DNA — the code of life.
What You'll Do
You will set and own the scientific vision for AI at the 23andMe Research Institute, and be accountable for translating it into research output and external funding. You will build and lead a research group of your own, beginning with two founding scientists recruited under your direction, and grow it in step with the funding you secure.
Your research agenda will span three complementary areas: health-risk prediction, developing foundation models that forecast individual health outcomes from genetic and longitudinal data, building on our existing PRSformer and Next Health Event work; variant-effect prediction, interpreting the functional and clinical consequences of genetic variants including variants of uncertain significance, in preparation for a product line based on whole-genome sequencing.
You will represent the Institute's AI work externally and raise grant, philanthropic, and industry funding to support the group's expansion. We expect and encourage publication at top-tier venues and the open release of methods and models where appropriate.
What You'll Bring
You have deep expertise in machine learning applied to genomics, biomedicine, or a comparably high-dimensional scientific domain, with a significant track record of scientific achievement that includes multiple years of experience leading the development of novel methods and executing independently developed ideas. These achievements should demonstrate your ability to balance scientific rigor with a pragmatic commitment to getting things done in the face of multiple competing priorities. You will also have a track record of collaboration with scientific thought leaders, and be expected to take an active role in engaging with external academic and industry scientists.
Scientific Expertise
- PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Computational Biology, Statistical Genetics, or a related field, with at least ten years of experience post-PhD.
- Strong record of accomplishment through academic publications at leading venues or equivalent industry achievement.
- Deep expertise in modern deep learning architectures, including transformers and large language models, and in training at scale.
- Experience with genomic or biomedical data is strongly preferred; exceptional candidates from adjacent domains with a clear commitment to biomedicine will be considered.
- Experience with distributed training, GPU cluster scaling, and computational efficiency at the frontier of model size.
- Strong programming skills in Python and a modern deep learning framework.
Leadership Skills
- Proven ability to build, mentor, train, and develop teams of scientists.
- Demonstrated success securing external research funding through grants, philanthropy, or industry partnerships.
- Ability to work with senior scientific leadership to represent the Institute at scientific, business, and other professional meetings.
- Ability to lead directly and by influence, including strong problem solving, conflict resolution, and analytical skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely with scientific and non-scientific stakeholders alike.
Location
This role is location-agnostic. We will consider candidates across the United States. We are prioritizing the quality of the individual over their location, and remote or non-Bay-Area arrangements are expected and welcome.
About Us
Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, 23andMe Research Institute is a leading consumer genetics and research company. The company’s mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. 23andMe has pioneered direct access to genetic information as the only company with multiple FDA authorizations for genetic health risk reports. More information is available at www.23andme.com/research.
At 23andMe, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected]. 23andMe will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.
Please note: 23andMe does not accept agency resumes and we are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. Thank you.
Pay Transparency
23andMe takes a market-based approach to pay, and amounts will vary depending on your geographic location. The salary range reflected here is for a candidate based in the Salt Lake City Area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.
Salt Lake City, UT Base Pay Range
$250,000 - $290,000
