Organisation/Company VIB Research Field Biological sciences Engineering Computer science Researcher Profile Established Researcher (R3) Positions Other Positions Application Deadline 12 May 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No
Offer Description
About us
VIB is a world-class life sciences research institute in Flanders, Belgium, with more than2,000scientists acrossfouruniversitiesand a strongtrack recordof translating scientific breakthroughs into impactful biotechnology innovationand venture creation.
This role sits withinVIB Innovation & Business – AI Studio, a growing team that turns VIB’s biological data and AIexpertiseinto trustworthy, reproducible digital assets that accelerate innovation in healthcare and biotechnology through validation, engineering, and valorization pathways such as licensing, partnerships, and spin‑outs.
About the role
We are seeking aSeniorComputationalBiologyScientist in AI Protein Structure Predictionand Designto help build and translate AI‑driven capabilities for biologics design and protein engineering. The role combines protein structural insight with hands‑on ML development: adaptingand applyingstate‑of‑the‑art structure prediction and design frameworks, training/fine‑tuning models, and running scalable computational campaigns.
Key responsibilities
* Design andexecuteinsilicoprotein andbiologicsengineering campaigns guided by structural biology and biophysical principles.
* Translate computational outputs into biologically meaningful insights relevant forprotein/antibodydesign in support of VIB’s valorization projects.
* Train,fine-tune,benchmarkand applystate‑of‑the‑art AI methods for protein structure prediction andgenerativeprotein design (e.g.AlphaFold,OpenFold, Boltz, Chai).
* Develop robust,reproducibleand reusablePython code for model training, inference, and large‑scale computational experiments.
* Run and manage high‑throughput workloads on HPC or cloud infrastructure, including parallelization, traceability,reportingandworkfloworchestrationthroughNextflow.
* Collaborate withdata/AI engineers, computational biologists, and experimental partnersin both academia and industryto advance translationalprojects towardspartnerships, or venture creation.
Your profile
* PhD with 5+ years of postdoctoral and/or relevant industry experience,demonstratingscientific independence, technical depth, and a strongtrack recordof applied researchin Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Protein Engineering, Machine Learning, or a closely related field.
* Strong understandinganddemonstratedtrack recordinprotein structuremodellingmethods, with hands‑on experience in protein or biologics designand engineering.
* Hands‑on experience withcommonmachine learning / deep learning frameworks(eg.PyTorchor JAX)applied to biological or structural data.
* Solid Python programming skills, with experience building maintainableand portablecode for scientificworkflowswithNextflow(or comparable)
* Practical experience running large‑scale computational workloads on HPC or cloud infrastructure (e.g. job schedulers, parallelization,data latency).
* Ability to critically interpret computationalprotein designsin a biophysical andtherapeuticallyrelevant context (e.g. binding, stability, developability).
* A pragmatic, collaborative mindset witha keeninterest inbiotechnologytranslation, platform building, valorizationprojectsand venture building.
* Experience working in lab‑in‑the‑loop settings, iterating computational designs with experimental or wet‑lab validation and feedback.
* Hands‑on experience with biophysics‑guided modelling and force‑field‑based approaches (e.g. Rosetta,FoldX, or related methods), ideally in combination with ML models.
Our offer
* A full‑time position with a flexible hybridonsite/remoteworking model, combining time at VIB headquarters in Ghentandacademic groupsat VIB’s Research Centers.
* A unique opportunity to help shape a cutting‑edge, AI‑driven biology platform with direct exposure to real‑world translational and valorization activities.
* A comprehensive social security package, including pension scheme and health care coverage.
* Strong supportfor lifelong learning, with access to VIB’s personal and professional development programs.
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