Senior AI Scientist/Lead AI Scientist

ABOUT US Owkin is an AI company on a mission to solve the complexity of biology. It is building the first Biology Super Intelligence (BASI) by combining powerful biological large language models, multimodal patient data, and agentic software. At the heart of this system is Owkin K, an AI copilot and its new LLM fine-tuned on biology called Owkin Zero, used by researchers, clinicians, and drug developers to better understand biology, validate scientific hypotheses, and deliver better diagnostics and therapies faster. Please submit your CV in English ABOUT THE ROLE: We are looking for a visionary ML/AI Scientist to lead the development of our AI Scientist—an autonomous agentic system designed to navigate the complexities of drug discovery. This role isn't just about training models; it's about building "scientists in a box" that can reason over biological data, design experiments, and autonomously drive therapeutic breakthroughs. Unlike traditional ML roles that focus on single-task optimization, you will be building a meta-researcher. You’ll be at the heart of Owkin’s mission, creating the engine that will discover the next generation of life-saving therapeutics. IN PARTICULAR, YOU WILL: - Architect Agentic Systems: Design and implement sophisticated AI agents capable of multi-step reasoning, tool-use, and self-correction. - Bridge AI and Wet-Lab: Develop frameworks where agents can propose hypotheses and design "optimal experiments" to be validated in the lab. - Scale the "Hacker" Approach: Rapidly prototype and iterate on agentic architectures, moving from paper to production-grade code with speed and precision. - Scientific Leadership: Maintain a watch on the frontier of GenAI and Agentic workflows, publishing high-impact research at the intersection of AI, Biology and Chemistry. ABOUT YOU The successful candidate possesses a "hacker spirit"—you don’t just wait for the perfect dataset; you build the tools to find it. You are independent, deeply curious, and obsessed with the idea of automating the scientific method. Core Requirements: - Demonstrated Expertise in Agentic AI: Deep understanding of LLM reasoning (Chain-of-Thought, ReAct), long-context management, and tool-augmented generation. - The Hacker Toolkit: Expert-level Python skills with a focus on "building." You should be comfortable writing clean, modular code that interfaces with complex APIs and databases. - Publication Record: History of contributions to top-tier ML conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR). - Technical Foundation: PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or Applied Mathematics (or equivalent high-level industry experience). - Communication: Ability to explain complex agent behaviors to both AI peers and biological experts. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Fluent in English (French is a plus). - Team first, highly collaborative mindset. Preferred Qualifications (The "Big Plus") We are especially interested in candidates who bring Computational Biology or Chemistry expertise to the table. - Domain Knowledge: Deep understanding of the "central dogma" data stack—from processing raw sequencing (omics) to interpreting the physics and geometry of macromolecular structures - Closed-loop Discovery: Experience in Active Learning, Bayesian Optimization, or Optimal Experimental Design. - Systems Engineering: Experience training and deploying large-scale models or managing complex multi-agent orchestrations. - Causal Inference: Experience in understanding "response to treatment" or causal discovery in biological systems. - Industry Impact: Proven track record of taking a research concept and turning it into a functional tool used by other scientists. Ref: #LI-HB1 WHAT WE OFFER - Flexible work organization - Friendly and informal working environment - Opportunity to work with an international team with high technical and scientific backgrounds RECRUITMENT PROCESS & SECURITY - Please complete the form and submit your CV. - Owkin is an Equal Opportuni