Biological Safety Research Scientist

Core responsibilities:

• Design and execute capability evaluations to assess the capabilities of new AI models
• Collaborate with threat modeling experts and ML engineers to develop training data for safety systems and optimize them for robustness and low false-positive rates
• Analyze safety system performance, identify gaps, and propose improvements
• Develop rigorous stress-testing of safeguards against evolving threats and product surfaces
• Partner with Research, Product, and Policy teams to embed biological safety throughout the model development lifecycle
• Contribute to external communications including model cards, blog posts, and policy documents related to biological safety
• Monitor emerging technologies for potential risks and mitigation strategies

This role creates positive change by developing safety and oversight mechanisms for AI systems to prevent misuse in the biological domain, balancing AI's potential to accelerate legitimate life sciences research while preventing misuse by sophisticated threat actors.

Required qualifications:

• PhD in molecular biology, virology, microbiology, biochemistry, systems or computational biology, or related life sciences field, OR equivalent professional experience
• Extensive experience in scientific computing and data analysis with proficiency in programming (Python preferred)
• Deep expertise in modern biology including both "reading" (high-throughput measurement, functional assays) and "writing" (gene synthesis, genome editing, strain construction, protein engineering) techniques
• Familiarity with dual-use research concerns, select agent regulations, and biosecurity frameworks
• Strong analytical and writing skills with ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
• Passion for learning new skills and ability to rapidly adapt to changing techniques and technologies
• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment where priorities may shift

Preferred qualifications:

• Background in AI/ML systems, particularly experience with large language models
• Experience in developing ML for biological systems
• Extensive experience in complex projects with multiple stakeholders

Competitive compensation and benefits, optional equity donation matching, generous vacation and parental leave, flexible working hours, and a lovely office space for collaboration. Annual salary range: $300,000—$320,000 USD.

Anthropic's mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems that are safe and beneficial for users and society. The team consists of researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.