Senior AI Engineer
Genentech
Summary
Join our Data and Digital Catalyst organization as a Senior AI Engineer in AI Enablement, where you will partner closely with computational and research scientists to turn artificial intelligence into an everyday utility that accelerates drug discovery and development. Working in a cross-functional, impact-driven team, you will design, build, and scale modern AI/ML and agentic systems that unlock the full potential of our scientific data.
Job description
The Opportunity
Join our Data and Digital Catalyst organization as a Senior AI Engineer in AI Enablement, where you will partner closely with computational and research scientists to turn artificial intelligence into an everyday utility that accelerates drug discovery and development. Working in a cross-functional, impact-driven team, you will design, build, and scale modern AI/ML and agentic systems that unlock the full potential of our scientific data.
- Design, develop, and test robust, scalable scientific web applications, backend systems, and cloud-native architectures that power AI/ML workflows.
- Build foundational AgentOps capabilities—including evaluation frameworks, observability, secure execution environments, memory/retrieval systems, and model routing—to deploy and operate AI agents at scale.
- Establish AI data readiness capabilities by structuring, validating, and standardizing diverse scientific datasets to ensure reproducibility, traceability, and trustworthiness.
- Develop tooling to evaluate AI/ML model performance and define new metrics for assessing AI output quality.
- Partner directly with product managers, computational scientists, and research teams to translate complex scientific challenges into actionable technical specifications.
- Implement and evaluate emerging AI/ML algorithms, analytical techniques, and GPU performance optimizations to continuously evolve our modern tech stack.
Who you are
- You hold a Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience (or a Master’s degree with 3+ years) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, or an equivalent practical background.
- You bring strong proficiency in AI/ML frameworks, statistical modeling, machine learning theory, and GPU/ML performance optimization.
- You have hands-on experience building cloud-native architectures (ideally AWS) using Kubernetes alongside relational, NoSQL, or data lake storage systems.
- You apply software engineering best practices across the full stack and demonstrate agility in quickly picking up new technologies and languages.
- You communicate clearly and excel at building trusted, collaborative partnerships across technical and non-technical teams.
Preferred
- Experience working with biological data, scientific imaging, or within a life sciences research environment.
- Hands-on experience building and deploying Generative AI solutions, autonomous agents, or workflow automation tools.
Location
- This role is based in South San Francisco and offers a hybrid schedule working 3 day per week on campus
- No relocation benefits are available for this posting
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years of relevant experience (or Master’s degree with 3+ years) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical background
- Strong proficiency in AI/ML frameworks, statistical modeling, machine learning theory, and GPU/ML performance optimization
- Hands-on experience building cloud-native architectures (ideally AWS) using Kubernetes alongside relational, NoSQL, or data lake storage systems
- Apply software engineering best practices across the full stack
- Agility in quickly picking up new technologies and languages
- Clear communication and ability to build trusted, collaborative partnerships across technical and non-technical teams
Benefits
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Hybrid schedule (3 days on campus)
Company overview
Genentech, founded in 1976 and now a member of the Roche Group, is widely recognized as the pioneer of the biotechnology industry. The company has been at the forefront of scientific innovation for nearly 50 years, using human genetic information to develop novel medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases. Genentech's transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis. With over 10,000 employees, the company operates from its South San Francisco headquarters and maintains a strong focus on oncology, immunology, neuroscience, ophthalmology, and infectious diseases. Genentech continues to pursue groundbreaking science while maintaining its startup spirit within the Roche organization, consistently delivering on its promise to improve patients' lives through innovative biopharmaceutical solutions.