Computational Protein Design Expert at Turing

Computational Protein Design Expert | Varies | Contractor, 1-month remote assignment

About the role

Turing, which provides training data, evaluations, and engineering talent to frontier AI labs, is hiring Computational Protein Design experts for a scientific AI evaluation initiative. You will design rigorous evaluation tasks for generative protein design models, run computational experiments independently, and build reproducible benchmarks that show what these models can and cannot do.

What you'll do

• Design evaluation tasks covering de novo protein design, target-conditioned binder generation, motif scaffolding, and sequence–structure optimization.
• Run design workflows using generative AI and diffusion-based models alongside established protein engineering tools.
• Define task inputs, biological constraints, expected outputs, evaluation criteria, and reproducible experimental protocols.
• Evaluate AI-generated sequences and structures for folding confidence, stability predictions, geometric validity, interface quality, novelty, and biological plausibility.
• Develop objective scoring rubrics and validation methods; identify model limitations, failure cases, and unrealistic structural predictions.
• Distinguish computational predictions from experimentally validated results, and summarize findings in technical reports and proof-of-concept demonstrations.

Requirements

• Ph.D. (ongoing or completed) in Computational Biology, Structural Biology, Bioinformatics, Biochemistry, Protein Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Hands-on experience in at least one of: computational protein design, protein structure prediction, molecular modeling, or protein engineering.
• Strong understanding of protein folding, structure–function relationships, molecular interactions, and sequence–structure optimization.
• Practical familiarity with tools such as RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, AlphaFold, Rosetta, PyMOL, or ChimeraX.
• Strong Python skills, experience with computational biology workflows, and familiarity with FASTA, PDB, and mmCIF data formats.
• Ability to design experiments independently, interpret results critically, and write up findings clearly.

Nice to have

• Experience with generative or diffusion-based protein design models (e.g., RFdiffusion), binder design, motif scaffolding, or enzyme engineering.
• Protein–protein docking, sequence optimization, structural refinement, or computational affinity assessment work.
• Benchmarking or automated evaluation pipeline experience.
• Publications or open-source contributions in computational biology or protein design, or prior AI training/model evaluation work.

Deliverables

• A curated set of reproducible evaluation tasks with defined inputs, expected outputs, and objective scoring rubrics.
• Computational analysis of AI-generated designs, documenting structural quality, biological plausibility, model limitations, and failure cases.
• A concise technical report supported by a proof-of-concept demonstration.

Schedule, contract and location

• Pay not stated in the listing.
• At least 4 hours per day and 40 hours per week, with 4 hours of overlap with PST.
• Contractor assignment (no medical or paid leave), running 1 month, with an expected start next week.
• Remote work is open to applicants based in India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana, Bangladesh, Turkey, or Mexico.