Key words: Protein Design, Structure Prediction, AI, Platform Engineering, Valorization
About us
VIB is a world-class life sciences research institute in Flanders, Belgium, with more than 2,000 scientists across four universities and a strong track record of translating scientific breakthroughs into impactful biotechnology innovation and venture creation.
This role sits within VIB Innovation & Business – AI Studio, a growing team that turns VIB’s biological data and AI expertise into 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 a Senior Computational Biology Scientist in AI Protein Structure Prediction and Design to help build and translate AI‑driven capabilities for biologics design and protein engineering. The role combines protein structural insight with hands‑on ML development: adapting and applying state‑of‑the‑art structure prediction and design frameworks, training/fine‑tuning models, and running scalable computational campaigns.
Key responsibilities
* Design and execute in silico protein and biologics engineering campaigns guided by structural biology and biophysical principles.
* Translate computational outputs into biologically meaningful insights relevant for protein/antibody design in support of VIB’s valorization projects.
* Train, fine‑tune, benchmark and apply state‑of‑the‑art AI methods for protein structure prediction and generative protein design (e.g. AlphaFold, OpenFold, Boltz, Chai).
* Develop robust, reproducible and reusable Python code for model training, inference, and large‑scale computational experiments.
* Run and manage high‑throughput workloads on HPC or cloud infrastructure, including parallelization, traceability, reporting and workflow orchestration through Nextflow.
* Collaborate with data/AI engineers, computational biologists, and experimental partners in both academia and industry to advance translational projects toward partnerships, or venture creation.
Your profile
* PhD with 5+ years of postdoctoral and/or relevant industry experience, demonstrating scientific independence, technical depth, and a strong track record of applied research in Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Protein Engineering, Machine Learning, or a closely related field.
* Strong understanding and demonstrated track record in protein structure modelling methods, with hands‑on experience in protein or biologics design and engineering.
* Hands‑on experience with common machine learning / deep learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch or JAX) applied to biological or structural data.
* Solid Python programming skills, with experience building maintainable and portable code for scientific workflows with Nextflow (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 computational protein designs in a biophysical and therapeutically relevant context (e.g. binding, stability, developability).
* A pragmatic, collaborative mindset with a keen interest in biotechnology translation, platform building, valorization projects and venture building.
Desirable / Plus
* 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.
* Prior involvement in computational antibody design platform building for biotech/pharma.
Our offer
* A full‑time position with a flexible hybrid onsite / remote working model, combining time at VIB headquarters in Ghent and academic groups at 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 support for lifelong learning, with access to VIB’s personal and professional development programs.
How to apply?
Motivated candidates can apply via the online VIB application form (https://jobs.vib.be/apply/132753). The application (in English) should consist of:
* Cover/motivation letter
* CV
More info:
https://vib.be/en/ai-studio
https://vib.be/
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