Senior Research Scientist, Modeling & System Design
SecureBio is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that develops pandemic-defense capabilities and evaluates and mitigates AI-enabled biological misuse risks.
Funding history
About SecureBio
SecureBio develops pathogen-agnostic early-warning systems for novel pandemic threats and conducts frontier-AI biosecurity evaluations, benchmarks, and targeted safety-mitigation research.
Skills
Candidate Availability
About the Role
You will assess how early and reliably a metagenomic surveillance system can detect emerging pathogens. You will build quick in-house models, use collaborators' complex epidemiological models, and estimate parameters from sequencing data. You will model tradeoffs across sampling strategies, sites and sequencing depth, work with external collaborators, and deliver fast analyses for leadership and funding proposals.
Requirements
- Graduate degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, applied mathematics, statistics or a related quantitative field (or equivalent experience)
- 5+ years of relevant work experience
- Deep experience with quantitative epidemiology, infectious disease modeling or similar modeling problems
- Ability to independently own quantitative projects
- Proficiency in Python or R and good coding practices
- Strong quantitative judgment including parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis
- Clear communication with technical and nontechnical stakeholders
- Ability to turn ambiguous questions into focused quantitative projects
Responsibilities
- Build and update estimates of how early and reliably the system could detect emerging pathogens across outbreak scenarios
- Use metagenomic data to estimate key model parameters
- Build quick in-house models and use collaborators' complex epidemiological models
- Model tradeoffs across sampling strategies, sites and sequencing depth
- Share results early and often with the team
- Work with external modeling collaborators and steer joint work
- Produce fast analyses for leadership and funding proposals
- Use AI tools to move fast
Benefits
- Health, dental and vision insurance
- Yearly mental health allowance
- Flexible work hours
- Unlimited paid time off
- Minimum 12 weeks fully-paid parental leave
- Fully-paid conference sponsorships
- Yearly development allowance
- Employer 401(k) match up to 4% of salary
- Up to 10% of salary in 401(k) contributions starting 2027
- Kendall Square offices with ergonomic equipment, snacks and daily catered lunches
- Visa sponsorship for exceptional candidates