R&D AI Architect

CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organisations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI’s work has delivered world firsts for vaccines against many of its priority pathogens including the first licensed Chikungunya vaccine, the first ever Lassa fever, Nipah and MERS vaccines to reach Phase II trials and the first Rift Valley fever vaccine candidate to be studied in Phase II in an endemic region. CEPI has also supported programmes to generate much-needed data to expand access to Ebola and Mpox vaccines. CEPI was among the first funders of COVID-19 vaccines, ultimately building one of the world’s largest portfolios, seven of which were licensed. The Coalition also conceptualised and co-founded COVAX, which delivered nearly two billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 146 countries, saving an estimated 2.7 million lives in lower‑income regions. Central to CEPI’s pandemic‑beating plan is the ‘100 Days Mission’ – its goal to develop safe, effective and accessible vaccines against new threats in just 100 days. CEPI is seeking funding to execute CEPI 3.0, its 2027‑2031 strategy, which will systematically reduce the likelihood and impact of epidemics and pandemics by driving the 100 Days Mission towards an operational reality. CEPI is a not‑for‑profit association under Norwegian Law and has offices in Oslo (HQ), London, and Washington DC. In CEPI we strive for diverse thinking, and we want a diverse pool of candidates for all our vacancies. We work for an inclusive working environment where each employee can contribute and grow.

About the role

Support the technical architecture and early engineering work for CEPI's R&D AI Strategy, with a focus on the Pandemic Preparedness Engine for Disease X (PPX), under the guidance of senior technical leadership. Contribute to implementing federated architecture so data and compute can be used across institutions and countries while respecting sovereignty, governance requirements, and data protection expectations. Help develop practical prototypes and demonstrations that connect vaccine R&D workflows (discovery, design, development) into usable tools and services. Assist with integrating and benchmarking AI models for hypothesis generation and decision support, helping ensure PPX components are testable, reliable, and safe to use. Work closely with the R&D AI Innovations Team, the PPX Lead, and external AI/digital partners to translate requirements into implementable designs, build plans, and working prototypes. This is fixed term, full time position until Dec 2027.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and maintenance of PPX technical designs (architecture diagrams, interface descriptions, and implementation notes) and keep documentation up to date as prototypes evolve.
• Contribute to building and testing PPX architecture components (data pipelines, compute orchestration, model services, and security controls) in collaboration with partners and internal colleagues.
• Help define and apply interface standards and modular patterns that enable partner participation and interoperability across PPX modules (e.g., data compartments, model benchmarking, workflow orchestration services).
• Assist in applying federated patterns (e.g., decentralized analytics and federated learning concepts) to enable cross‑border collaboration while maintaining local control where required.
• Contribute to workflow automation and agent‑based orchestration prototypes that can support multi‑step vaccine R&D tasks in a controlled and auditable way.
• Support the development of early digital twin prototypes for selected vaccine R&D pipelines, helping teams run simulations and scenario tests to inform decisions.
• Assist with model integration and benchmarking by helping define evaluation datasets/criteria, running repeatable tests, and producing clear summaries of results.
• Build and maintain prototypes and partner‑facing demonstrations, helping ensure they are reliable, well‑documented, and ready for handover or scale‑up when needed.
• Work with vaccine R&D stakeholders (e.g., epidemiology, preclinical, clinical, regulatory, manufacturing) to capture requirements and incorporate feedback into prototype iterations.
• Apply responsible AI, biosecurity, and data protection requirements in day‑to‑day engineering work (e.g., access controls, audit logs, and safe handling of sensitive data), escalating risks and gaps to senior staff.
• Support coordination with external technical partners by tracking technical actions, dependencies, and risks, and by preparing materials for technical reviews and decision points.
• Contribute to internal updates by preparing clear summaries of technical progress, trade‑offs, and open questions for non‑technical stakeholders.

Education, Experience and Competence

Essential: PhD in computer science, AI/ML, engineering, or a related field (or equivalent demonstrated research experience). Strong foundation in computer science and software engineering, with research training relevant to AI‑enabled systems and modern ML methods. Working knowledge of data engineering and cloud‑based architectures (APIs, data pipelines, containers, workflow tools) and an ability to learn and apply new platforms quickly. Familiarity with federated or privacy‑preserving approaches (e.g., federated learning concepts, decentralized analytics patterns) and the practical considerations of working across organisations. Exposure to AI model evaluation and benchmarking practices (reproducibility, versioning, performance measurement) and comfort working with modern ML tooling. Comfort collaborating with external partners and cross‑functional internal stakeholders, with an ability to gather requirements and translate them into actionable technical tasks. Early‑career profile: typically 0–3 years post‑PhD (including postdoctoral research, fellowships, or equivalent industry experience). Evidence of hands‑on technical delivery (e.g., research prototypes, open‑source contributions, or production‑quality engineering components) relevant to AI systems, data platforms, or workflow tooling. Experience or interest in health, life sciences, biomedical R&D, or global health contexts is an advantage, but not required. Strong problem‑solving skills, including the ability to identify issues early, communicate risks clearly, and propose pragmatic options. Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical work in plain language to non‑technical colleagues.

Travel and Location Requirements

This role is based in the UK, Norway or the US. Expected international travel up to 10–20%.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to work together with leading experts on solutions for global challenges.
• Experience in the international effort on developing vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and accelerating vaccine development response to outbreaks.
• A diverse and inclusive working environment.

How to apply

For more information on how to apply, please visit: https://cepisites.secure.force.com/careers. Should you have any issues submitting your application or have questions please contact jobs@cepi.net. Background verification will be conducted to verify information provided in the CV and available documentation. Deadline for receiving applications is 1st June 2026 at 23:59 CET.