Senior Bioinformatician/Cheminformatician - Molecular Descriptor

Jobinhalt

What we do

Despite millenia of knowledge regarding the therapeutic potential of plants, more than 99% of the small molecules within this kingdom of life remain unexplored. Terra Lumina is on a mission to empower a healthier humanity by unlocking the therapeutic potential of nature.

We leverage cutting-edge approaches in cheminformatics, computational biology & machine learning to build a highly-scalable, AI-powered Natural Product Discovery platform. Our platform illuminates the connection between nature’s small molecules & the human body - accelerating discovery of novel therapeutic compounds that address humanity’s most pressing health challenges.

Our venture is incubated at Merantix, an AI Venture Studio which conceptualizes, builds and scales machine learning companies. Our company builder network is made up of more than 80 engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs from leading universities.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and value diversity. We consider all applications equally regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity. We strongly encourage individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in tech to apply.

Your role

We are looking for a Senior Bioinformatician/Cheminformatician, who is driven to build a highly-scalable natural product discovery platform with the help of a strong technical & entrepreneurial team, and secured seed financing. You will be responsible for developing a highly-innovative, novel molecular descriptor framework for natural products that can be leveraged within our platform with the aim to unlock new relationships between small molecules in plants and the human body.

You will be an early team member, having a significant impact, creating the company from the ground up through your work, scientific experience and industry expertise. You will be part of the technical team whose task is to build the infrastructure of our platform in order to uncover the value of natural products in human health.

What you’ll do:

• Design and implement novel molecular descriptor frameworks with the aim of extrapolating bioactivities between synthetic compounds and natural products
• Implement a strategy to benchmark the effectiveness of these descriptor frameworks; collaborate with a team of cheminformaticians and end-users to ensure fit-for-purpose models
• Collaborate with both our scientific & tech teams to provide chem-/bioinformatics expertise, including on data collection and standardization, database structure, workflow development, algorithmic design, data analysis, and visualization
• Coordinate and perform data analysis efforts on different projects; communicate results to diverse audiences, including project teams, collaborators, and customers
• Stay abreast with new technological advancements and analyze them for potential inclusion in our platform

Your profile

What we think is essential

• Advanced Degree in Cheminformatics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry, Biotechnology, Data Science, or related discipline
• 3-5+ years relevant experience dealing with chemical structures and chemical data in academia or industry
• Familiarity with 2D & 3D molecular descriptors, approaches to benchmark virtual screening and target prediction methods
• Familiarity with Python, scikit-learn; chemical toolkits (e.g. RDKit); chemical workflow environments (particularly KNIME)
• Software development experience, familiarity with version control tools, and reproducible research practices
• Molecular modeling experience, e.g. in virtual screening, pharmacophore modeling, QSAR, docking, structure or ligand-based modeling
• Strong oral & written communication skills in English

What we also like in applicants:

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Cheminformatics, Computational Biology, or a related field
• 1-3+ years of work experience on commercial-scale R&D teams
• Experience with cloud deployment (AWS, Azure, GCP) and high-performance computing; Familiarity with SQL and chemical cartridges
• Experience with ML/DL frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras).
• Experience in building technical platforms and working on teams within the biotech space

You are a great fit for our team if this describes you:

• Entrepreneurial and ambitious mindset: Creative, focused, passionate and not easily discouraged, excellent analytical problem-solving skills, strategic, agile & adaptable
• Strong organizational and multitasking skills with the ability to prioritize appropriately and effectively
• Demonstrated ability of working in teams to lead & collaborate successfully on a common vision
• Self-motivated, resourceful, dependable, proactive, execution and solution-oriented
• Collaborative, open-minded, values diversity and promotes inclusivity

What we offer

Working with us

In addition to a competitive salary and early-team equity package, you can expect the following:

• Instrumental impact on the strategy & culture of the company as an early leadership team member
• Collaborate with a team who are passionate about our mission: Join us, and thrive in an environment with colleagues who inspire you to learn, grow, and make a real impact on the world’s most pressing health challenges.
• Personal growth & development: We offer learning & development programs that will help you on your career path and achieve your dreams.
• An office based in a highly innovative environment - Newly renovated office at the AI Campus in the heart of Berlin, complete with fresh fruit, Friday beers, and an amazing ecosystem of other startups, engineers and data scientists for regular intensive exchange
• A team that values diversity: Join a team that embraces diverse perspectives, that encourages collaborative and inclusive exchange between people of all backgrounds and identities.