The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Chicago (https://www.czbiohub.org/chi) is an independent nonprofit research institute that brings together three powerhouse universities - Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine. CZ Biohub itself supports some of the brightest, boldest engineers, data scientists, and biomedical researchers to make breakthroughs in medicine and develop new technologies, frequently in collaboration with our partner universities. We are guided by our values of scholarly excellence; disruptive innovation; hands-on engineering/hacking/building; partnership and collaboration; open communication and respect; inclusiveness; and opportunity for all.
Our Vision
- We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
- We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
- The technologies developed at CZ Biohub Chicago facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond
Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of CZ Biohub Network and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an outstanding Director - Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning to join our team and lead the AI/ML Strategy and Program at the CZ Biohub Chicago, reporting to the President. This key leadership position will drive the strategic direction of AI initiatives, leveraging data-driven insights to propel innovative solutions and technologies forward at CZ Biohub Chicago. The Director of AI/ML will be responsible for directing the efforts of a dynamic team of experts in AI, machine learning and data science, in coordination with the Biohub's internal research groups and technology platforms, as well as others across the CZI research ecosystem.
The successful candidate will be an accomplished and active engineer/scientist/computation expert, with a proven track record for scientific innovation, impact, guidance/mentoring, and team management.
What You'll Do
- Lead the AI/ML strategy and platform for the CZ Biohub Chicago, which is a research team composed of bioinformaticians, biologists, computer scientists, mathematicians and programmers
- Contribute to primary research, tool building, problem solving, and academic output, including contributions to peer reviewed manuscripts, solutions to complex problems and scientific questions
- Drive innovation by staying abreast of the latest advancements in machine learning and deep learning techniques and integrating them into the company's technology stack.
- Create and implement solutions with respect to complex problems/scientific questions on large scale data sets, especially using machine learning approaches, predictive models, and statistical analysis, especially in the area of genomics, proteomics, and imaging
- Collaborate and coordinate with the other technology platforms (Bioengineering, Mass Spectrometry, Tissue Modeling) to analyze and integrate large scale data sets from diverse sources
- Collaborate and coordinate with Group Leaders and their teams on projects, particularly enterprise-wide projects to identify, capture, store, and integrate data streams for analysis and hypothesis testing/generation
- Work closely with IT to guide and provide input into scientific compute and data storage infrastructure priorities, strategy, data governance, security, and access policies
- Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle of computation platforms, from ideation and prototyping to deployment and optimization, ensuring high-quality, scalable, and efficient solutions and services
- Establish best practices, methodologies, and standards for machine learning development and implementation, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation within the team
- Act as a technical thought leader, representing the Biohub in conferences, industry events, and fostering strategic partnerships with academia and research institutions
- Collaborate with software development and engineering teams at the Biohub and at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) to maximize access and impact of Biohub datasets, data pipelines, toolkits, and shared infrastructure
- Contribute to a CZ wide AI community of practice sharing technologies, standards, and establishing joint projects as appropriate
- Maintain compliance with regulatory standards and apply CZ trust principles to data management and model development
What You'll Bring
Essential
- Expertise and Experience: Advanced degree in computer science or a related field, with a focus on machine learning & data analytics. At least 5+ years of relevant experience in an area of the life sciences interfacing with AI/ML.
- Extensive Experience: 12+ years in engineering with a strong background in AI/ML, including 6+ years managing high-performance teams
- Technical Mastery: Proficiency in AI/ML concepts, programming languages (Python, R, Scala), and familiarity with AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, Keras, etc.)
- Innovative Leadership: Demonstrated ability in building and leading engineering teams, with a focus on AI/ML platform development and research
- Leadership Skills: Proven ability in leading and mentoring high-performance teams. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
- Collaborative Spirit: Ability to work in a highly interactive, cross-functional collaborative environment
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to identify high-impact engineering projects, establish engineering culture and best practices, and manage resources effectively
The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network requires all employees, contractors, and interns, regardless of work location or type of role, to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, including a booster vaccine dose, if eligible, by their start date. Those who are unable to get vaccinated or obtain a booster dose because of a disability, or who choose not to be vaccinated due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance must have an approved exception prior to their start date.
What We Provide
- Resources to disrupt and innovate at the frontiers of our knowledge of biology and disease
- A collegial and collaborative environment consisting of diverse expertise
- Access to collaborators, resources and facilities at our three partner universities (Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) and at partner organizations in Chicagoland and beyond
- Competitive compensation and benefits commensurate with the experience
Benefits
We offer a robust benefits program that enables the important work Biohubbers do everyday. Our benefits include healthcare coverage, life and disability insurance, commuter subsidies, family planning services with fertility care, childcare stipend, 401(k) match, flexible time off and a generous parental leave policy. In addition, we honor our commitment to career development and our value of scholarly excellence through regular onsite opportunities to learn from the world's leading scientists.
The CZ Biohub Network is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity of thought, ideas and perspectives. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive organization where all Biohubbers feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution. Therefore, we provide employment opportunities without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
Headhunters and recruitment agencies may not submit resumes/CVs through this website or directly to managers. The CZ Biohub Network does not accept unsolicited headhunter and agency resumes. The CZ Biohub Network will not pay fees to any third-party agency or company that does not have a signed agreement with the CZ Biohub Network.