Operating Partner (AI Research), London

Operating Partner (AI Research), London

Full-Time 90000 - 110000 £ / year (est.) Hybrid
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Drive groundbreaking initiatives in AI research and drug discovery with a dynamic team.
  • Company: Join Isomorphic Labs, a pioneering tech company transforming healthcare through AI.
  • Benefits: Enjoy a hybrid work model, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
  • Other info: Collaborative culture focused on innovation and personal development.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on global health by solving complex challenges in drug discovery.
  • Qualifications: Experience in strategic operations and strong communication skills are essential.

The predicted salary is between 90000 - 110000 £ per year.

Isomorphic Labs is applying frontier AI to help unlock deeper scientific insights, faster breakthroughs, and life-changing medicines with an ambition to solve all disease. The future is coming. A future enabled and enriched by the incredible power of machine learning. A future in which diseases are curtailed or cured starting with better and faster drug discovery. Come and be part of an interdisciplinary team driving groundbreaking innovation and play a meaningful role in contributing towards us achieving our ambitious goals, while being a part of an inspiring and collaborative culture.

About Iso

Isomorphic Labs (IsoLabs) was launched in 2021 to advance human health by building on and beyond the Nobel-winning AlphaFold system. Since then, our interdisciplinary team of drug discovery experts and machine learning specialists has built powerful new predictive and generative AI models that accelerate scientific discovery at digital speed. Our name comes from the belief that there is an underlying symmetry between biology and information science. By harnessing AI’s powerful capabilities, we can use it to model complex biological phenomena to help design novel molecules, anticipate how drugs will perform and develop innovative medicines to treat and cure some of the world’s most devastating diseases. We have built a world-leading drug design engine comprising AI models that are capable of working across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities. We are continually innovating on model architecture and developing cutting-edge capabilities to advance rational drug design. Every day, and with each new breakthrough, we’re getting closer to the promise of digital biology, and achieving our ambitious mission to one day solve all disease with the help of AI.

Your impact

As an Operating Partner you'll work as a member of a compact, agile, and high-impact team specialising in catalysing business critical initiatives across Iso through partnership with cross-functional organisational leaders. Together, we drive operational excellence, maximising productivity and accelerating progress toward our mission. Because agility, organisation, and flawless execution are critical, this role will dynamically evolve alongside the needs of our team and the leaders you partner with.

What you will do

  • You’ll work alongside the VPs of AI and their wider organisation to deliver the highest-priority initiatives in their org areas, in particular where these are strategic in nature, require cross-organisational influence or are outside of the normal rhythms of the business.
  • Thought-Partner: You’ll enable leaders and their teams to operate effectively by advising and soundboarding on their ideas for how to solve problems, accelerate, and maximise outputs across their organisation.
  • Prioritise and Coordinate: You will distinguish critical leadership priorities from support tasks, establishing clear ownership and empowering teams to act. With a keen sense of timing, you will know when to revive paused initiatives, align stakeholders, and deliver actionable plans.
  • Deliver and Execute: You’ll focus your time on maximising the impact of key initiatives, particularly those outside the normal day-to-day operating patterns, or of the highest strategic importance. You’ll prepare, present and gain agreement on proposals among stakeholders and then influence teams to execute - leveraging strong communication skills. You’ll follow up, problem-solve, close loops in a timely fashion and drive initiatives to completion.
  • Drive Cross-Functional Collaboration: You’ll build relationships with key stakeholders across Iso to gain a holistic understanding of the organisation, instilling high levels of trust and providing hands‑on partnership on important projects.
  • Translate and Communicate: You’ll translate complex technical developments into clear, high-impact executive summaries and strategic presentations for a variety of stakeholders, including board meetings and key management presentations.
  • Drive efficiency: You’ll empower others to be maximally efficient by optimising for leanness and proactively spotting and breaking down blockers and inefficiencies, balancing what the organisation needs in the short and longer term with a keen eye for how to scale most efficiently and effectively.

Skills and qualifications

  • Executive Partnership & Thought Leadership: Proven track record of operating shoulder-to-shoulder with senior executive leaders (e.g., C‑Suite, VP‑level) as a trusted advisor, strategic soundboard, and operational force‑multiplier.
  • Understand and Translate Complex Topics with Fluency: Strong ability to learn and absorb technical information, grasp key concepts of machine learning/frontier AI, with the confidence to probe, synthesize, and translate complex technical matters into actionable executive communication.
  • Complex Execution & Ambiguity: Demonstrated ability to break down highly ambiguous, multi‑faced problems into concrete plans and drive them through to measurable completion with pace and precision.
  • Cross-Functional Influence: Proven ability to build rapid trust and drive alignment across diverse, interdisciplinary teams (research, engineering, product, and operations) without direct line authority.
  • Agility & Low‑Ego Mindset: High resilience and adaptability in dynamic scale‑up environments, with a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves mentality where no task is too big or too small.

Nice to have:

  • Background in a Chief of Staff, Strategic Operations, or Operating Partner role within a fast‑scaling tech or AI organization.
  • Familiarity or working exposure to digital biology, computational chemistry, or biopharma workflows.
  • Experience facilitating executive team rhythms, planning cycles, and organisational scaling mechanisms.

Culture and values

We are guided by our shared values. It's not about finding people who think and act in the same way. These values help to guide our work and will continue to strengthen it.

  • Thoughtful: Thoughtful at Iso is about curiosity, creativity and care. It is about good people doing good, rigorous and future‑making science every single day.
  • Brave: Brave at Iso is about fearlessness, but it’s also about initiative and integrity. The scale of the challenge demands nothing less.
  • Determined: Determined at Iso is the way we pursue our goal. It’s a confidence in our hypothesis, as well as the urgency and agility needed to deliver on it. Because disease won’t wait, so neither should we.
  • Together: Together at Iso is about connection, collaboration across fields and catalytic relationships. It’s knowing that transformation is a group project, and remembering that what we’re doing will have a real impact on real people everywhere.

Creating an extraordinary company

We believe that to be successful we need a team with a range of skills and talents. We're building an environment where collaboration is fundamental, learning is shared and every employee feels supported and able to thrive. We value unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, and perspectives, and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis protected by applicable law.

If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know. It’s hugely important for us to share knowledge and build strong relationships with each other, and we find it easier to do this if we spend time together in person. This is why we follow a hybrid model, and would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week (currently Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day depending on which team you’re in). If you have additional needs that would prevent you from following this hybrid approach, we’d be happy to talk through these if you’re selected for an initial screening call.

Please note that when you submit an application, your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy.

Operating Partner (AI Research), London employer: Isomorphic Labs

Isomorphic Labs is an exceptional employer, fostering a collaborative and innovative culture that empowers employees to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in drug discovery through AI. With a strong commitment to employee growth, the company offers opportunities for continuous learning and development while working in a vibrant London location that encourages creativity and teamwork. Join us to be part of a mission-driven team dedicated to making a real impact on global health, all within a supportive and inclusive environment.

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Contact Details:

Isomorphic Labs Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Operating Partner (AI Research), London

✨Join Local Tech Meetups

Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Isomorphic Labs or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!

✨Contribute to Open Source Projects

Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Isomorphic Labs.

✨Tap into Online Developer Communities

Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Isomorphic Labs.

✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles

Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Isomorphic Labs that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!

We think you need these skills to ace Operating Partner (AI Research), London

Executive Partnership
Thought Leadership
Complex Problem-Solving
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Communication Skills
Agility
Adaptability

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.

Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Isomorphic Labs.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Isomorphic Labs and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!

Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!

How to prepare for a job interview at Isomorphic Labs

✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills

For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.

✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks

Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Isomorphic Labs uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.

✨Showcase Your Projects

Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.

✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions

While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.