Machine Learning Researcher for AI in Drug Discovery

What you will do

The landscape of modern medicine is rapidly evolving, with drug design and development becoming increasingly innovative. Cutting-edge technologies and interdisciplinary approaches are driving breakthroughs in treating chronic diseases and conditions once considered incurable. Precision medicine (e.g., HER2-positive breast cancer therapy) and personalized medicine (e.g., CAR-T cell therapy) are transforming therapeutics by shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to tailored treatment strategies. Meanwhile, deep-tech innovations are accelerating drug discovery—enhancing target identification, optimizing candidate therapeutics and even replacing traditional in-vitro and in-vivo testing with in-silico predictive models.

At imec, we are strengthening our AI Models team to advance in-silico drug discovery and development pipelines. Our focus is twofold: improving AI models for drug discovery and reducing the cost of training and deploying increasingly complex models. If you are a senior AI expert with experience in applying machine learning to scientific simulation and a passion for driving innovation, we want to hear from you. Join us in pushing the boundaries of AI, collaborating with industry leaders, and helping to develop the next generation of computational drug discovery tools.

• You will be responsible for developing novel machine learning algorithms and models for research projects in the context drug discovery.
• You will follow up on progress within research projects and are able to communicate the accomplished / in-process work to internal and external stakeholders and adapt where needed.
• You work together with technical teams in implementing the machine learning output of your projects into a working whole.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• You have a PhD, preferably in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent.
• You have affinity with academic research but also want to make a difference in today’s industrial and societal challenges. Publications at major AI venues (Neurips, ICLR, ICML, AAAI, ...) are a plus. 
• You have a strong foundational knowledge of machine learning and AI, backed by hands-on experience. Expertise in Diffusion and Flow models and/or Reinforcement Learning is a plus.
• You have experience with modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, Tensorflow, Jax)
• Prior experience applying AI in an industry setting is a plus.
• Prior experience with the use of AI for science is a plus.
• Prior experience with optimizing AI for AI Compute Architectures is a plus.
• You are a team player and have strong communication skills.
• Your English is fluent, both in speaking and writing.

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.