Scientific Co-Director

AITHYRA154 DIR124

The Austrian Academy of Sciences (Oe AW) is Austria's central non-university research and science institution, which supports 27 basic research institutes of excellent international standing, five of which are conducting research in the life sciences.

With generous funding by the Boehringer Ingelheim Foundation, the Austrian Academy of Sciences has recently founded a new institute in Vienna: AITHYRA - Research Institute for Biomedical Artificial Intelligence.

The goal of the institute is to develop AI-first approaches that will help to transform the life sciences and will fuel the biological revolutions of the next decade in many sectors, including human health.

AITHYRA is a sister institute of Oe AW's IMBA, GMI, and Ce MM, located on the Vienna Bio Center campus that hosts numerous outstanding research institutions including IMP and the Max Perutz Labs.

AITHYRA will seek to hire top international AI and life science experts.

The founding scientific director, Michael Bronstein, will bring expertise in novel machine learning techniques for biological applications and in research commercialization and technological spinoffs.

We are now seeking an outstanding scientist and visionary leader to serve as the SCIENTIFIC CO-DIRECTOR (F/M/X) for Life Sciences. The Co-Director will shape the vision of the AITHYRA institute together with the Director, establish a competitive research program, and play a major role in recruiting faculty and staff.

AITHYRA will hire 10-14 junior and senior research groups, provide a substantial computational and experimental infrastructure, and state-of-the-art AI-driven robotic labs.

The Co-Director will have an internationally competitive salary, a generous annual research budget (personnel, consumables, equipment), and access to the entire research infrastructure of the Vienna Bio Center campus with its 1,900 scientists and 5,000 bachelor and master students from over 40 different countries.

Core resources will comprise scientific and technical support for stem cell research, transgenic animal models, advanced microscopy, metabolomics, flow cytometry and cell sorting, next generation sequencing, and preclinical imaging and phenotyping.

In addition, there are numerous other scientific facilities in Vienna with a wide range of novel technologies and instrumentation.

Vienna provides a life science environment of around 41,000 people and is famous for its rich intellectual and cultural life, consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the world to live in. It hosts the second-largest university city in the German-speaking world with one third of the students from abroad.

AITHYRA will also establish collaborations with leading international institutions.

The position requires the ideal candidate to have:

1. PhD in biochemistry, molecular biology, structural biology, genetics or a related field
2. Experience as PI of a lab with a track record of cutting-edge research in biological fields (in particular, molecular biology and biochemistry)
3. Good knowledge and understanding of modern ML and track record of using and developing new ML methods for biological applications
4. Excellent publication record
5. Track record of attracting competitive grants
6. Track record of working with multidisciplinary collaborators (biologists, chemists, computer scientists, clinicians)
7. Leadership and team management skills

It will be beneficial for the candidate to have:

1. Experience with research commercialization, technology transfer, and creation of start-up companies
2. Experience in the biotech industry (in particular, drug design)
3. Track record of attracting industrial funding

The successful candidate will be recruited with tenure as scientific group leader, while the function of Co-Director will be for 10 years, renewable after an evaluation.

The institute will be set up in close partnership with the universities in Vienna. Joint affiliations (e.g., professorships) are supported by the universities and are subject to individual agreements.

Please send your application (including cover letter addressing a track record of using and developing new ML methods for biological applications, curriculum vitae, a list of publications with the six most relevant ones highlighted, and an overview of acquired third-party funding) to President Heinz Fassmann and Vice President Ulrike Diebold.

Closing date for applications: November 10, 2024. Short-listed candidates will be invited to a hearing in Vienna on January 7-8, 2025.

The Oe AW pursues a non-discriminatory employment policy and values equal opportunities, as well as diversity. Individuals from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

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