Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Software Engineer, AI Benchmarking
at SecureBio
🏢 About SecureBio
SecureBio is a mission-driven nonprofit dedicated to preventing catastrophic pandemics by securing biology against misuse. They operate at the intersection of AI and biosecurity, running projects like SecureDNA and the Nucleic Acid Observatory, and are pioneering the assessment of dual-use risks in frontier AI systems. Working here means contributing to global safety with a team of experts in a remote-first, collaborative environment.
About This Role
As a Senior Software Engineer on the AIxBio team, you will build and scale biosecurity evaluations to assess whether frontier AI models could enable the creation of biological threats. This involves developing robust evaluation suites, using agent frameworks and jailbreaking methods to stress-test models, and creating the infrastructure for large-scale capability assessments. Your work will directly inform pre-release and post-release safety decisions for the most advanced AI systems.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a synchronous standup with your remote team to align on goals, followed by deep work on building or refining an evaluation suite. You might spend time writing Python code to integrate a new agent framework, configuring AWS resources to run a large-scale model assessment, or reviewing results from a recent jailbreaking attempt. Afternoons could involve collaborating with researchers to interpret findings, iterating on evaluation designs, and documenting your work for the broader team.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who SecureBio Is Looking For
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📝 Tips for Applying to SecureBio
Tailor your resume to highlight any experience with AI evaluation, red-teaming, or safety benchmarking, even if it was for non-biological domains, and explicitly mention any biosecurity or dual-use projects.
In your cover letter, connect your software engineering skills to the mission of preventing catastrophic pandemics, and show you understand the unique challenges of assessing AI's biological capabilities.
Demonstrate your ability to work autonomously in a remote setting by providing examples of self-directed projects and how you communicate asynchronously.
Showcase your Python and AWS skills with specific projects or open-source contributions, and be prepared to discuss how you've scaled systems in the past.
Research SecureBio's projects (SecureDNA, NAO, AIxBio) and mention them in your application to show genuine interest and alignment with their work.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
1. Emphasize your technical expertise in Python, Docker, and AWS, and how you've used these to build scalable, reliable systems. 2. Highlight any experience with LLMs, AI agents, or evaluation frameworks, and explain how you've approached testing or improving model behavior. 3. Express a deep commitment to biosecurity and AI safety, and articulate why SecureBio's mission resonates with you personally. 4. Show that you're a self-starter who thrives in remote, mission-driven teams, and can take ownership of complex projects from conception to deployment.
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read SecureBio's blog and publications on AI biosecurity evaluations to understand their current methodologies and findings.
- → Familiarize yourself with the Nucleic Acid Observatory and SecureDNA projects to grasp the broader mission and how the AIxBio team fits in.
- → Look into recent papers and reports on AI and biosecurity risks, such as those from the Center for AI Safety or OpenAI, to understand the landscape.
- → Check SecureBio's team page and LinkedIn to learn about the backgrounds of current engineers and researchers, which can inform your interview questions.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Don't neglect the biosecurity aspect – this isn't just an AI engineering role; you must show genuine interest in the mission and understanding of the domain.
- Avoid generic responses about 'wanting to make a difference' without concrete examples of how your skills can be applied to this specific challenge.
- Don't underestimate the importance of scaling – they need someone who can handle the technical infrastructure, so emphasize real experience with distributed systems and cloud services.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!