Biology Specialist

TaskUs

10d•$80,000 - $105,000•Remote

About The Position

TaskUs partners with technology companies to support safety and human-in-the-loop operations for artificial intelligence. The Biology Specialist joins a specialized frontline life-sciences team supporting an AI research and safety company. The role helps prevent advanced AI systems from lowering technical barriers to biological weapons or catastrophic biological risks. Since legitimate scientific work can use terminology similar to biological threat material, flagged cases receive human expert review. The Biology Specialist reviews flagged queries, applies scientific judgment to distinguish benign academic or clinical work from possible misuse, creates precise labels for training automated safety filters, and prepares structured escalations for senior and principal leads. Work includes reviewing material related to dangerous biological agents, toxin extraction, and synthetic biology protocols. The position is remote in the United States, with Texas residency preferred, and may require rotational shifts or occasional weekend and holiday coverage.

Requirements

Master’s or Ph.D. in Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Synthetic Biology, Biosecurity, or a directly related life-sciences discipline.
1–3 years of practical laboratory, research, or analytical experience in a biological discipline or biosecurity setting; graduate research experience applies.
Solid understanding of virological and microbiological fundamentals, BSL-2+ containment protocols, basic gene synthesis and CRISPR workflows, and pathogen handling.
Strong written English communication skills and ability to articulate scientific reasoning concisely in case logs.
Based in the United States with unrestricted work authorization.

Nice To Haves

Texas residency.
Exposure to the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP) or international biosecurity frameworks such as Australia Group common control lists.
Academic or professional background in biodefense, public health surveillance, or dual-use research of concern (DURC).
Experience with DNA synthesis screening protocols or computational biology tools.
Familiarity with large language models, prompt engineering, or AI safety concepts.
Active or previously held U.S. Government Security Clearance at Secret level or higher.

Responsibilities

Conduct first-line evaluation of automated detection flags involving biological threat vectors, including select agents and high-consequence pathogens, genetic modifications, production and purification protocols, and dissemination techniques.
Distinguish legitimate scientific work from requests seeking actionable weaponization or harm pathways.
Apply policy-aligned classification labels to adjudicated cases to support validation and training of automated safety classifiers.
Review life-science literature, genomic databases, and biosecurity guidelines to verify whether flagged queries involve restricted agents or novel dual-use risks.
Document findings and prepare well-supported case handoffs when escalating ambiguous, high-risk, or boundary cases to Senior Specialists.
Participate in regular calibration sessions and incorporate feedback to maintain consistent labeling precision.