Current openings at Arc Institute

About Arc Institute The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution that conducts curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley. While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include: Funding: Arc will fully fund Core Investigators’ (PIs’) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants. Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators.  Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction. Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration. Arc has scaled to over 350 people to date. With $650M+ in committed funding and a state of the art new lab facility in Palo Alto, Arc will continue to grow quickly in the coming years. About the position We are looking for an exceptional experienced machine learning scientist specializing in developing large-scale models. The ideal candidate will play a key role in constructing advanced machine learning models to predict cell state response to perturbations as part of Arc’s Virtual Cell Initiative. About you You are passionate about machine learning with real-world applications and scientific impact. You want to develop cutting-edge, biology-inspired, multimodal machine learning models. You are excited about collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of experimental biologists and machine learning engineers at Arc. You are a strong communicator, capable of translating complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences across disciplines  You are a continuous learner In this position, you will Build state-of-the-art AI models for understanding how cells respond to perturbation, in collaboration with other ML researchers, engineers and experimental scientists at Arc. Guide interdisciplinary teams towards successful delivery of reliable and robust machine learning models with clear scientific impact. Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in machine learning for computational biology, scope out new areas of work and ensure the models built at Arc remain state-of-the-art. Develop strategies for both training of models as well as the large-scale generation of new experimental data to train those models, as part of Arc’s Virtual Cell Initiative. Publish findings through journal publications, white papers, and presentations. Commit to a collaborative and inclusive team environment, sharing expertise, mentoring others and fostering collaborations. Job Requirements PhD in Computer Science, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, or a related field. Minimum of 3 years of experience post-PhD in building machine learning models for large datasets. Strong research background with contributions to machine learning conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML) or interdisciplinary scientific journals (e.g., Nature, Nature Methods, Science). Well-versed in machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch. Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with a strong track record of publications. Proven track record of communicating and collaborating with domain experts and ML engineers. Motivated to work in a fast-paced, ambitious, multi-disciplinary, and highly collaborative research environment. Preferred Qualifications Experience with training and scaling large-scale machine learning models. Strong foundation in software engineering with a proven ability to deliver machine learning products from research to production. Experience working with biological datasets including single-cell genomics, genomic sequences, bioimaging Demonstrated key contributions to the field of predictive modeling of cell states. The base salary range for this position is $235,000-$291,000. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits. This position is also eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus, with the amount dependent on individual and institute performance factors.

About Arc Institute The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution conducting curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley. While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include: Funding: Arc will fully fund Core Investigators’ (PIs’) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants. Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators.  Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction. Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration.  Arc has scaled to over 350 people to date. With $650M+ in committed funding and a state of the art new lab facility in Palo Alto, Arc will continue to grow quickly in the coming years. About the Position We are seeking an exceptional scientific leader for the Associate Director of Genomics Platform within the Multiomics Technology Center. You will work cross-functionally across experimental and computational teams from Arc’s Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs, manage a high-performing team of research scientists and associates in your Genomics Platform, lead our efforts in onboarding and scaling up next-generation sequencing technologies for Arc’s large-scale institute initiatives, and serve as a technical expert in genomics technologies across the institute. You will play a central role in enabling large-scale sequencing for Arc’s Virtual Cell Initiative, which aims to create the first AI foundation model that makes accurate predictions of cellular responses to drug perturbations. The ideal candidate combines deep scientific expertise in advanced sequencing technologies with proven people and project management skills and a track record of delivering large-scale projects under tight deadlines. This role requires a team-oriented mindset focused on delivering high-quality, rapid results to users and collaborators across the Institute. About You Scientific expert and team leader: You have deep expertise in advanced sequencing technologies and excel at developing high-performing scientific teams through goal execution and mentorship. Service-oriented and user-focused: You love enabling others' success, treat collaborators and users as valued customers, and consistently deliver solutions that exceed expectations. Systems thinker and process optimizer: You naturally think at scale, building efficient workflows and automated processes for large-scale research while balancing scientific rigor with operational demands. Results-driven under pressure: You thrive in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines, excel at prioritization, delivering complex projects on time in high-throughput settings. Collaborative: You enjoy building strong working relationships with users and collaborators, and excel at collaborating with cross-functional teams to achieve collective goals.  Adaptable learner: You stay current with new genomics technologies, demonstrate sound judgment in implementing innovations, can pivot strategies effectively based on organization needs. In this position you will Manage and professionally develop a fully funded Genomics Platform team of 4 FTEs, provide hands-on guidance and mentorship to scientists and research associates Oversee day-to-day operations of the Genomics Platform in a high-scale production environment Collaborate with cross-functional Technology Center teams (Genome Engineering, Data Infrastructure, Machine Learning, etc.) to enable large-scale, single cell sequencing dataset generation for Virtual Cell Initiative Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, and ensuring timely execution under tight deadlines Drive initiatives to improve platform operational efficiency and turnaround time, develop and implement continuous improvement strategies Serve as a subject matter expert in genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic sequencing technologies, provide expert consultation and training to Arc users on advanced NGS technologies and the Genomics Platform Stay current with rapidly evolving scientific fields, identify, evaluate and implement new cutting-edge methodologies Attend and present at internal meetings, share project plans and results and ensure cross team alignment Establish and maintain relationships with external vendors and partners to facilitate seamless collaboration Requirements PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in genomics, molecular biology, biochemistry, or related field 8+ years of relevant experience in academic, biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with demonstrated success in high-scale production settings 3+ years of people management experience leading and growing scientific teams of 3 or more members Deep expertise in advanced sequencing platforms, particularly single-cell sequencing technologies Extensive knowledge of NGS library preparation workflows and computational aspects of multi-omic profiling Experience implementing process improvements and automation in production settings Proven record of delivering large, complex projects under tight deadlines in fast-paced, high-throughput environments Strong organizational skills and proven record managing multiple concurrent projects and priorities Strong service-oriented mindset with focus on delivering exceptional results to internal and external users Demonstrated ability to provide training and technical consultation to diverse scientific audiences Outstanding written and verbal communication skills Experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships across interdisciplinary teams The base salary range for this position is $160,000 to $207,500. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits. This position is also eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus, with the amount dependent on individual and institute performance factors.

About Arc Institute The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution conducting curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley. While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include: Funding: Arc fully funds Core Investigators’ (PIs’) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants. Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize, and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators.  Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially, and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction. Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration. Arc has scaled to over 350 people to date. With $650M+ in committed funding and a state of the art new lab facility in Palo Alto, Arc will continue to grow quickly in the coming years. About the position The Arc Institute is seeking a Bioinformatics Scientist to join the Bioinformatics team within the Computational Technology Center. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in advancing Arc Institute's Initiatives, including the Virtual Cell Initiative (VCI)—developing machine learning models to predict cellular behavior and identify therapeutic targets for complex diseases—and the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative (ADI), which aims to understand the fundamental causes of Alzheimer's disease. About you You are passionate about science and excited about answering biological questions related to complex human diseases. You are known for your ability to analyze complex datasets and work effectively in a multidisciplinary team.  Your organizational skills enable you to manage multiple concurrent projects, and your curiosity and creativity drive you to continuous learning and innovation. You possess outstanding scientific coding and software engineering skills. In this position you will Implement, test, and maintain state-of-the-art analysis pipelines for various high-throughput projects using best software engineering practices. Analyze large-scale sequencing datasets (single-cell RNA-seq, epigenomics, multi-omics, Perturb-seq, spatial transcriptomics), public and generated in-house. Communicate analysis results to experimental and computational scientists. Assist others in utilizing software packages and pipelines. Requirements Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, or related quantitative field. Hands-on experience analyzing high-throughput sequencing datasets, especially on single-cell omics data. High competency with Python, git/GitHub, and Linux. Ability to collaborate with wet-lab scientists. Strong statistical, mathematical, analytical, and data science skills. Preferred Qualifications Strong software engineering skills. Familiarity with CRISPR screens technology and analyses. Scientific background in functional genomics. Familiarity with cloud computing. The base salary range for this position is $112,500 to $186,500. These amounts reflect the range of base salary that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual base compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits. This position is also eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus, with the amount dependent on individual and institute performance factors.