Founding Scientist / Co-Founder

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Position Overview

Clera, an early-stage startup, is seeking a Founding Scientist / Co-Founder to play a pivotal role at the intersection of AI and wet labs within the aerospace and defense sector. This is a unique opportunity tailored for individuals with significant experience in scientific research, who are eager to influence both the scientific direction and overall strategy of a pioneering company from day one.

Job Responsibilities

In this foundational role, your primary responsibilities will include:

• Defining and leading the scientific vision, alongside developing a comprehensive research roadmap for early-stage AI integrated with wet-lab products.
• Designing and executing critical experiments in molecular biology, biochemistry, or genomics to validate models and assays.
• Partnering closely with engineers and machine learning researchers to ensure that experimental needs are effectively translated into computational requirements.
• Implementing and overseeing lab automation processes along with establishing data pipelines to enhance experiment scalability and reproducibility.
• Prototyping key computational tools and analyses while contributing code or notebooks for integrating wet-lab data with models.
• Mentoring and recruiting early scientific team members, while also establishing laboratory best practices and safety standards.
• Applying AI/ML techniques to biological data, specifically tuned to the constraints of the aerospace and defense sectors.

Required Qualifications

Candidates aspiring for this role must meet the following requirements:

• PhD in Biotechnology, Genomics, Biology, or related fields.
• Senior-level research experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, genomics, or biotech.
• Proven capability in applying AI/ML methodologies to biological datasets (experience in computational biology or bioinformatics is essential).
• Familiarity with the aerospace or defense domains, particularly regarding their specific challenges and constraints.
• Strong foundation in computational thinking and coding, with experience in machine learning being an advantage—though not mandatory.
• Training or a research background from prestigious academic institutions or universities.

Preferred Qualifications

While not mandatory, the following traits would be beneficial:

• Previous experience within AI-for-biology companies or biotech startups.
• Hands-on experience with lab automation and a keen interest in augmenting wet-lab workflows with AI.
• A background in founding or scaling early-stage teams and operations.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to operate cross-functionally.
• An entrepreneurial mindset that thrives in ambiguous, fast-paced startup settings.

Work Arrangement

This role is full-time and requires on-site presence in London, United Kingdom. Importantly, candidates must already have the legal right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship will not be provided.

Compensation and Benefits

Although specific compensation details have yet to be articulated for this position, it is expected that, as a founding-level position, equity participation will be a significant aspect of the overall remuneration package. Salary and benefits details will be openly discussed with candidates during the interview stage, reflecting the significance of the role.

Summary

This role at Clera embodies a founding-level opportunity that not only offers candidates the chance to influence the trajectory of a startup but also allows them to apply their extensive scientific expertise in an innovative context. If you are an experienced scientist eager to take on the challenges of both leading scientific initiatives and contributing to strategic company decisions, then this position could offer a rewarding career path.

This job offer was originally published on himalayas.app