Genentech Fellow/Executive Director, Frontier Research, AI for Drug Discovery

About this role

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.

Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. Roche’s Research and Early Development organisations at Genentech (gRED) and Pharma (pRED) have demonstrated how these technologies accelerate R&D, leveraging data and novel computational models to drive impact. Seamless data sharing and access to models across gRED and pRED are essential to maximising these opportunities. The new Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic, unified group whose goal is to harness this transformative power of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist our scientists in both pRED and gRED to deliver more innovative and transformative medicines for patients worldwide.

The Opportunity

Frontier Research, originally formed in Prescient Design was acquired by Genentech / Roche,  is a specialized unit within the Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) at Genentech / Roche, dedicated to foundational machine learning research and the development of new algorithmic frameworks. We operate with a flat scientific structure in which senior scientists define their own research agendas, and leaders act as mentors who shape priorities across the organization. We view open science as a core value and a competitive necessity. Our commitment to open dissemination, academic engagement, and community contribution ensures that our work contributes meaningfully to the broader machine learning community and advances the scientific ecosystem.  We are seeking a globally recognized scientist to serve as a leader across our three global sites. This role offers the opportunity to lead a frontier machine learning research lab with rare access to large-scale biological data and computing resources, while preserving the autonomy, intellectual culture, and scientific depth of a top academic environment. Success in this role is defined by sustained scientific influence, a body of influential work from the group, and the development of internationally recognized research leaders. 

In this role, you will:

This role offers a rare combination of scientific autonomy and scale within a life-science research environment. As a Genentech Fellow, you will lead a frontier machine learning research lab with direct access to large-scale biological data, experimental collaborators, and substantial high-performance computing resources to accelerate machine learning to positively impact patients.  You are empowered to pursue long-horizon, foundational research, with success defined by sustained scientific influence: new algorithmic paradigms and the development of internationally recognized research leaders through influential publications. Open science, publication, and academic engagement are treated as core objectives, not exceptions. This role provides the opportunity to shape how modern machine learning transforms biological understanding at a scale and depth not achievable in academia alone.

Research Vision & Intellectual Mentorship • Shape the Frontier: Enable and support independent research at the leading edge of machine learning, with a focus on enduring scientific influence.

• Peer-Based Leadership: Mentor scientists as peers, fostering rigorous discourse while preserving autonomy in research direction.

• Recruit and Develop Scientific Talent: Recruit and mentor emerging machine learning researchers, supporting their progression into global scientific leaders.

Strategic Collaboration & Open Science • Scientific Prioritization: Enable high-value collaborations across Genentech/Roche, actively protecting time and focus for deep, long-horizon research to keep the lab centered on enduring scientific advances rather than incremental tasks.

• Global Scientific Engagement & Outreach: Advance an open-science culture through regular publication, sustained engagement with the academic community, and leadership of initiatives such as visiting scientist programs and university partnerships.

Who you are • Scientific Leadership: PhD with a sustained record of foundational contributions to machine learning or related fields (e.g., computer science, statistics, applied mathematics).

• Proven Management: Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring senior researchers in an academic or industrial research environment.

Relocation benefits are available for this opportunity

The expected salary range for this position, based on the location of New York, is $287,800 - 534,400.  Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.  A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance.  This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.

Benefit s

#ComputationCoE #tech4lifeComputationalScience

Genentech is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants .

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