Bioengineer, Lead Scientist

LatchBio•San Francisco, CA

23d•$200,000 - $280,000•Hybrid

About The Position

LatchBio is hiring a Bioengineer L2, Lead Scientist to measure and improve AI model performance in biology by engineering benchmarks and leading a team delivering work for frontier model labs. The role sits within the benchmarking team and reports directly to the CTO. It collaborates with the therapeutics and drug development team, product engineering, and scientific leadership to build and scale benchmark and task production. The Lead Scientist co-designs domain benchmarks, designs tasks and graders, sets scientific and quality standards, and reviews work before delivery. The role leads and mentors a team of up to seven scientists, supports production planning and quality, and works with engineering to improve platform and compute usage and build tools for task creation. It also leads domain initiatives such as data acquisition and roadmap definition, supports hiring, and communicates strategic initiatives with leadership. In the first three months, the role is expected to onboard to internal tools and design and begin drafting a benchmark; launch a benchmark and begin managing and onboarding initial L1 hires; and, with an MTS in place, engage a frontier lab partner and begin building out the function. Ramp-up to full speed takes about three months. The position is hybrid, with daily onsite attendance not required; some L2s are fully remote. It is normally about 40 hours per week, with nights and weekends not expected. Flexible hours are available as long as onsite presence is maintained where applicable.

Responsibilities

Map domain knowledge into a taxonomy of benchmarks, and co-author and release benchmarks for frontier labs.
Design benchmark tasks and graders, and set task standards and rubric quality for the team.
Ensure the program meets partner-agreed production volumes and timelines, with deliverables varying by contract.
Review team work before delivery for scientific value, professional writing, scope fit, and whether tasks teach transferable skills.
Set quality and review standards for different types of work.
Lead a team of up to seven scientists, including onboarding, one-on-ones, feedback, and professional development.
Provide support to team members who are blocked and advocate for team needs with leadership.
Work with engineering to optimize compute and platform usage.
Work with engineering to build tools that automate parts of task creation and provide feedback on platform tools.
Lead domain initiatives such as data acquisition and roadmap definition.
Help hire and close strong candidates.
Communicate strategic initiatives with leadership to build consensus and execute across the organization.