Principal Computational Biologist (AI/ML)

WHAT WE DO

• Act as the biology bridge across concurrent ODC projects in computer vision, chemistry, agentic systems and data engineering.

• Translate scientific objectives (e.g. predicting the effects of gene and protein regulation from cellular imaging, literature-grounded scientific QA) into problem framing, labels, evaluation metrics and success criteria.

• Review experiment design, data splits, thresholds and results for biological validity; identify data leakage, confounders and batch effects before sharing with the client.

• Assess imaging data quality (artifacts, focus, staining, plate effects) and define quality-control (QC) rules with data and ML engineers.

• Help design data schemas, ontologies and metadata for phenotypic and multi-omics data with the Senior Data Engineer.

• Own biology-focused onboarding for every new ODC member and maintain the team’s domain knowledge base.

• Make independent scientific judgments independently during Vietnam working hours; escalate only when a decision changes scope or direction.

• Participate in the client’s scientific syncs and present findings and recommendations to AI Science leadership team.

WHO YOU ARE

*** Must Have

• MSc or PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Systems Biology, Genomics or a closely related field.

• 5+ years of experience working with real-world biological data (transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics or high-content imaging) in industry or a research-intensive academic setting.

• Hands-on experience with Python (pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn, PyTorch or similar) and a solid grasp of ML evaluation (classification metrics, imbalanced data, generalization to unseen compounds or samples).

• Ability to read, critique and extract evidence from biomedical papers.

• Proven track record of making sound technical and scientific decisions without close supervision.

• Fluent English; able to explain biology to engineers and engineering trade-offs to scientists.

*** Nice to have

• Cell-based imaging or phenotypic screening data and its typical quality issues.

• Experience designing ontologies / metadata for multi-omics data.

• Industry experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical or AI-driven drug discovery.

BENEFITS AND PERKS

Why this role

• Real ML-for-biology problems: Work on high-content cellular imaging, transcriptomics, proteomics and compound data from a US AI-driven biotech company that directly support the client’s scientific work.

• Peer-level partnership with client science leadership: Work day to day with the client’s Head of AI Science, join their scientific syncs and present findings and recommendations directly to AI Science leadership.

• Breadth across concurrent projects: Computer vision, chemistry, agentic systems, literature-grounded scientific QA and data engineering all in one role.

What Sun* offers

1. Technology Leadership & AI-Driven Development

• Hands-on AI-Driven Development: Work directly in an AI-Driven Development environment, applying AI throughout the software development lifecycle (from Requirements Analysis and Coding to Testing and Operations) with standardized solutions and processes developed by Sun*.

• Access to Advanced AI Tools: Gain access to premium AI tools such as GitHub Copilot, Gemini, Claude, etc., depending on project requirements, to automate tasks and maximize productivity.

• AI-Empowered Professional Development: Join in-depth AI-DD training courses and hands-on workshops designed to help employees strengthen their core expertise while mastering next-generation AI tools.

2. Empowerment Culture & Clear Career Growth.

• Open & Creative Environment: A culture that values individuality, embraces experimentation and risk-taking, and encourages collaboration with like-minded colleagues who aspire to create positive social impact.

• Structured Career Path: Personalized career development toward either a Technical Expert or Management career track.

• Goal Setting & Empowerment: Support in defining individual and team goals through regular Goal Define Support sessions every 3 – 6 months, while empowering employees to take ownership of their work.

• Diverse Learning Ecosystem: Free access to learning platforms such as Udemy and LinkedIn Learning, Tech Expert seminars, and knowledge-sharing & cultural clubs.

3. Competitive Benefits & Comprehensive Well-being

• Salary & Allowances: Competitive salary, negotiable based on experience, plus various allowances and benefits, including lunch, living expenses, women’s allowance, Japanese language, IT certifications, etc.

• Bonuses & Performance Review: Performance bonuses, annual bonuses, and salary reviews twice a year.

• Flexible Working: Hybrid working with flexible check-in hours from 7:45 – 8:45 AM.

• Healthcare & Seniority Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance with Sun* Care and seniority benefits.

• Women’s Benefits: 2.5 hours of menstrual leave per month and 1 hour of childcare leave per day for employees with children under 1 year old.

• Team Activities & Engagement: Annual company trips and quarterly team-building activities.

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Working time: Mon-Fri (Hybrid)

Working location: Keangnam Tower, Cau Giay, Hanoi