Molecular Biologist - AI Trainer

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey.

About the role

We are seeking a Biology Research Scientist to verify protein target assignments, improve data accuracy, and support AI drug discovery pipelines. This is a remote contract position with a commitment of 10–20 hours per week, a minimum duration of 1–2 months, and likely extension.

Responsibilities

• Access primary sources such as papers and patents to verify protein target assignments against UniProt records.
• Flag and classify target assignment errors using a structured taxonomy to improve data accuracy.
• Propose correct UniProt accessions where assignments are incorrect to ensure data integrity.
• Write concise, evidence-grounded notes explaining your reasoning to support AI drug discovery pipelines.
• Work independently and asynchronously to meet deadlines while enhancing AI model performance.

Requirements

• BA/BS with 5+ years, MS with 2+ years, or PhD in pharmacology, biochemistry, molecular biology, or chemical biology.
• Industry or drug discovery research experience at a biotech, pharma, or CRO.
• Hands-on binding or functional assay experience (SPR, TR-FRET, radioligand binding, kinase assays, GPCR functional assays, IC50/Ki/KD).
• Currently bench-active in a research, scientist, or associate scientist role.
• Working fluency with UniProt or adjacent workflows: SAR support, HTS, target validation, biochemical profiling, or IND-enabling studies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with ChEMBL, BindingDB, or PubChem.
• Selectivity profiling or counterscreening experience.
• Familiarity with agonist/antagonist vs. activator/inhibitor distinctions.

Pay

$50–$70/hour

Schedule

10–20 hours per week