Founding Head of Engineering at Stealth Life Science Startup
A portfolio company of the AI2 Incubator
ABOUT US:
We are an early stage startup working to fundamentally change the way that biologists gain insights from genomic data.
Genomic data are getting cheaper and easier to produce, but analyzing those data - and getting meaningful insights from them - is not. To analyze genomic data, biologists either have to know how to code or have an arduous back-and-forth with a highly trained programmer. Therefore, getting insights into those (now easy and cheap-ish to get genomic) data can take weeks or months. We cut that time down to minutes or hours, enabling both biologists and bioinformaticians to do more and do it efficiently.
We are building a no-code analytics platform that transforms how biologists work with their data. Our platform addresses a huge need in the large and rapidly growing use of genomics in therapy development. mRNA therapeutics alone - a subset of the overall market we serve - is projected to be a $100 billion market by 2026. The platform gives scientists developing those therapies access to sophisticated tools that are essential to their work. This is an opportunity to be part of a mission to make data analyses easy and accessible to all biologists and accelerate the pace of discovery in life sciences.
WHO WE ARE:
Our team has dedicated their careers to moving the needle in biomedical research. We have a strong drive to meet the huge needs for data analysis for genomics and a deep understanding of how to build a transformative product in this space. Our founders each have ~20 years of experience in life sciences and genomic data analysis. Our founders include a leading expert in genomic data analysis, who specializes in applying data science and computational methods to large biological datasets, and an expert in scientific training and operations, with experience in empowering non-experts to master complex scientific concepts and making computation more accessible. We have lived the problem and are ready to solve it!
WHAT YOU’LL DO IN THIS ROLE:
We are looking for a founding engineer who wants to join our mission and be an early part of building our platform at the intersection of biology and data science.
You will set and build platform architecture and long-term technical vision:
- Build product infrastructure to launch MVP and position product for scaling
- Work directly with co-founders to design and build technical architecture for SaaS product, including roadmap for growth that supports beta testing and parallels the long-term vision for the platform
- Work closely with customers to ensure customer focus and incorporate feedback into platform infrastructure and product
- Recruit and build out engineering team
TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS:
The best candidates do not always match the limited criteria mentioned in the job description. If you are excited about our vision and feel that you could be a valuable asset to our team, please apply.
An ideal engineer will have some familiarity with life science research, but an interest in applying your programming skills to our mission is the key ingredient.
Tech skills
- Core web skills (HTML, CSS)
- Javascript app development (React, JSX, state management, client- and server-side rendering)
- Containerized app deployment (Docker, Kubernetes)
- Cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Relational databases
Experience
- Experience with full lifecycle development of a commercial SaaS product
- Experience with creating product specifications, workflows, and testing frameworks
- No minimum number of years or degree requirements, provided demonstrable knowledge of ability to set a technical vision given product requirements and ability to execute it independently
Approach
- Customer-focused
- Open-minded and adaptable; willingness to change focus and direction quickly in response to product/market demands
- Comfortable working in close collaboration with the team and independently
- Strong communication and desire to be a key player on a small, devoted team
WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING WITH US:
Our founders have strong reputations as thoughtful, forward-thinking colleagues and mentors who cultivate talent. We’ll think intentionally and collaboratively about your career and how we build our team. Our founders’ experiences in workforce development and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to our approach.
- Impact — Our platform will accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and therapy development to advance human health. The opportunity to build something from the ground up, define a new product, and lead a team over time in a space that has a real, positive impact.
- “Founding” title, employee #1 — You will be our first hire. Employee #001. For the rest of our days, no matter how many thousands of people join after you, you will always have that honor and distinction. It looks great on a resume, too.
- Early stage equity — Early stage risk comes with early stage equity for you. And none of us (not our founders, nor the Allen Institute for AI) would be here if we didn’t think that our company will create tremendous value over time.
- Access to unique learning opportunities — With the Allen Institute for AI as a cofounder, our team gets access to talks by leading AI researchers/paper authors, access to knowledge sharing amongst the community of hundreds of engineers that work for ai2incubator.com companies, and much more.
- Salary — We are a pre-seed startup and need to be modest until we raise a big round. The salary will probably be less than you would make at FAANG, and you can expect salary raises that bring you closer to market as we raise money. Plus, you’ll have the energy and excitement of a startup, the unique benefits and learning opportunities of taking an early risk.
- Flexible location and hours – We are whole people with whole lives and expect that you are, too. We’ll trust each other to make progress as a team, in times and places that work for everyone. Preference for Seattle area. Travel to Seattle will be required from time to time – it’s a beautiful city!
- Visa support - We can provide visa support.
About the AI2 Incubator:
The AI2 Incubator helps entrepreneurs come up with ideas, find co-founders, engage pilot customers, refine their product, work with research paper authors to incorporate the latest A.I. techniques into their technology, and raise millions of dollars in venture funding. They have a strategic relationship with the Allen Institute for A.I.—a world-leading research institute with over 200 A.I. PhDs, researchers, engineers, and support staff—allowing them to dive deep into the latest tech and access one of the most talented groups of researchers.
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