Computational Biologist

Computational Biologist

Full-Time 63000 - 77000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Join us to design and optimise proteins using cutting-edge AI and computational biology.
  • Company: Boltz, a pioneering public benefit company in AI-powered molecular modelling.
  • Benefits: Competitive pay, equity options, flexible remote work, and collaboration with top researchers.
  • Other info: Dynamic role with hands-on experience and opportunities for career growth.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on drug discovery and scientific breakthroughs in biology.
  • Qualifications: MSc or PhD in computational protein engineering; strong programming skills in Python.

The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.

About Boltz

Boltz is a public benefit company building the next generation of AI-powered molecular modelling tools to make biology programmable and accelerate drug discovery, while keeping frontier capabilities broadly accessible. Boltz-1, Boltz-2 and BoltzGen are open models trusted by scientists across biotech and academia, and used in programs at leading pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial research organisations. We believe that breakthroughs in biology will increasingly come from the combination of large-scale biological data, machine learning, and mechanistic understanding. Our mission is to build the tools that enable scientists to make those breakthroughs faster.

About the Role

We are looking for a Computational Biologist to work at the intersection of protein design, computational biology, and machine learning, with a particular focus on antibodies, peptides, and other protein therapeutics. You will support both Boltz's internal research and external drug discovery programs. You will work directly with our clients and scientific partners to understand their design problems, apply Boltz's models to their programs, analyse their computational and experimental data, and help them design and optimise antibodies, peptides, and other protein therapeutics.

At the same time, you will work closely with our Research and ML teams to turn our foundation models into robust, end-to-end protein design and optimisation pipelines, combining models for generation, structure prediction, sequence design, scoring, developability, and candidate selection into workflows that can be applied reliably to real design problems. A core part of the role is working with large-scale protein sequence and structural data. You will analyse natural, generated, and experimentally tested proteins using sequence and structural similarity, clustering, alignment, interface analysis, diversity selection, and other computational approaches. You will use these analyses to understand design space, select candidates for experimental testing, build rigorous evaluation datasets, and help both our internal teams and clients understand where our models succeed and fail.

You will also close the loop between computational design and experiment. As antibodies, peptides, and other designed proteins are experimentally tested, you will perform retrospective analyses of binding, affinity, expression, stability, developability, and other measurements, connecting experimental outcomes back to computational predictions and individual stages of the design pipeline. You will work with clients to interpret these results and determine how they should inform subsequent design rounds, while using the same insights internally to improve our models, ranking methods, and design pipelines.

This is a highly hands-on computational role. You will be expected to write strong scientific software, run and understand modern protein design and optimisation methods, build reproducible pipelines around them, and develop the analyses needed to interrogate their outputs.

The ideal candidate combines strong programming ability with a deep understanding of protein sequence and structure, and is comfortable moving between internal research and client-facing scientific work, exploratory analysis, and robust implementation.

About You

Essentials

  • You have a MSc, PhD or equivalent experience in computational protein engineering, or a closely related field.
  • You are a strong programmer, particularly in Python, and are comfortable building scientific software, data pipelines, and analysis tooling rather than relying exclusively on existing tools.
  • You have hands-on experience running protein design, protein optimisation, or protein modelling tools and understand their assumptions, outputs, and limitations.
  • You are highly proficient at analysing large collections of protein sequences and structures, including clustering, similarity analysis, diversity selection, and visualisation, and can use these analyses to make scientifically informed decisions.
  • You can analyse experimental results retrospectively and connect outcomes such as binding, affinity, expression, stability, and developability back to computational predictions and design decisions.
  • You have experience with modern protein design and modelling methods such as ProteinMPNN, RFdiffusion, BoltzGen, Boltz, BindCraft or related tools.
  • You have strong communication skills.

Nice to Have

  • You understand common experimental methods for characterising protein interactions, such as SPR, BLI, ELISA, or FACS, and can interpret their outputs in the context of computational design.
  • You have worked with large-scale protein design campaigns, analysing and selecting candidates from thousands to millions of generated sequences or structures.
  • You have experience working directly with biotechnology or pharmaceutical partners, translating drug discovery objectives into computational workflows and communicating results to multidisciplinary teams.
  • You have contributed to open-source scientific software or published research in protein design, computational biology, structural biology, protein engineering, or biomolecular machine learning.

What We Offer

  • Opportunity to help build the future of AI for biology.
  • Work alongside world-class researchers in machine learning and molecular modelling.
  • Direct impact on scientific discoveries and drug discovery programs.
  • Competitive compensation and significant equity.
  • Flexible remote working and access to our London office.

Computational Biologist employer: Boltz

Boltz is an exceptional employer for MLOps Engineers, offering a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of AI-powered molecular modeling in London. With a strong focus on employee growth, you will enjoy significant ownership of projects and the chance to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry, all while contributing to impactful scientific advancements. The company fosters a culture of innovation and excellence, providing competitive salaries and equity ownership, making it an attractive place for those seeking meaningful and rewarding employment.

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Contact Details:

Boltz Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Computational Biologist

Get Involved in Local Research Communities

Tap into local biotechnology meetups and research forums. These are great places to mingle with industry professionals, share your passion, and even discover unadvertised job openings. It's all about getting your face known in the field!

Leverage University Alumni Networks

If you're a recent grad, don’t underestimate the power of your university’s alumni network! Reach out to alumni working in biotechnology to gather tips about job openings at companies like Boltz. You'd be surprised how willing people are to help out a fellow grad!

Show Off Your Projects

Curate a portfolio showcasing any research projects or internships you've completed in biotechnology. This tangible evidence of your skills can really impress employers when you chat with them at networking events or interviews. It's about making that killer first impression!

Stay Up-to-Date with Industry Trends

Biotech is a fast-paced field, so keeping yourself updated with the latest advancements is crucial. Attend industry conferences, webinars, or workshops to broaden your knowledge and meet potential employers. Plus, it’ll give you fantastic talking points for your interviews at places like Boltz!

We think you need these skills to ace Computational Biologist

Computational Biology
Protein Design
Machine Learning
Python Programming
Data Analysis
Protein Modelling
Sequence Analysis

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Off Your Lab Skills:In the biotechnology field, it's super important to highlight your lab experience in your CV. Be sure to mention specific techniques or instruments you've mastered (think PCR, gel electrophoresis, etc.) and any relevant projects you've worked on. This will show Boltz that you have the hands-on skills they need.

Tailor Your Technical Skills:Make sure to emphasise your technical skills, especially those relevant to the biotechnology sector. Include any software tools or programming languages you've used, like R or Python for data analysis, which could be key for this role at Boltz.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Since this is a full-time role, your cover letter should reflect not only your passion for biotechnology but also your long-term career ambitions. Share why you're excited about the work that Boltz does and how you envision contributing to their goals. This shows that you’re not just looking for any job, but you're genuinely invested in this opportunity.

Include Your Papers and Projects:If you've published any papers or contributed to significant projects, mention them! These documents can boost your application and provide tangible evidence of your expertise in the biotechnology field. Don’t forget to link to any relevant publications or project summaries—this can set you apart from other candidates.

How to prepare for a job interview at Boltz

Brush Up on Lab Techniques

Since you're eyeing a full-time gig in biotechnology, make sure you're well-versed in the lab techniques relevant to the role. Be ready to talk about PCR, CRISPR, or any specific methods mentioned in the job description at Boltz. You might even be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these processes.

Know Your Bioinformatics Tools

Get comfortable with bioinformatics tools that are commonly used in the industry, like BLAST or Bioconductor. These are key in biotechnology, and having hands-on experience or at least familiarity can set you apart. Prepare to discuss any relevant projects you've worked on, especially if they involved data analysis or genomic research.

Show Your Teamwork Skills

Biotech often involves collaboration across multiple disciplines. Be ready to share stories that highlight your teamwork and communication skills, especially in research projects. Think about working with different teams at university or any internships – this is where you can show how well you fit into Boltz's culture.

Research Recent Biotech Innovations

Stay updated on the latest trends and breakthroughs in biotechnology. Knowing what's happening in the field can help you engage in more meaningful discussions during your interview. Bring up recent articles or advancements that excite you, especially those related to the work being done at Boltz. This shows your passion for the industry!