Head of AI Core for Protein Engineering – Computational Biology & Machine Learning

fondazione telethon • Italy

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AI Summary

Lead the establishment and management of Fondazione Telethon’s AI Core for Protein Engineering, integrating AI-driven methodologies to advance therapeutic protein design, genome-editing tools, and translational research across TIGEM (Naples) and SR-TIGET (Milan). Oversee strategic computational workflows, team leadership, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to accelerate next-generation biotherapeutics. Requires PhD in computational biology, 5+ years of AI/protein engineering expertise, and hands-on experience with protein language models, deep learning, and high-performance computing.

Key Highlights

Establish and lead a cross-institute AI Core for protein engineering, bridging computational and experimental research

Design and implement cutting-edge AI methodologies for therapeutic protein design, genome-editing, and RNA-based therapeutics

Hands-on leadership of a multidisciplinary team of ML scientists, bioinformaticians, and trainees

Key Responsibilities

Define and execute the scientific, methodological, and operational strategy for the AI Core, aligning with TIGEM and SR-TIGET’s translational research priorities

Evaluate, benchmark, and select state-of-the-art AI tools (e.g., protein language models, generative AI, variant-effect prediction) for protein engineering applications

Develop and oversee reproducible computational workflows, data management, and quality standards for large-scale protein design and genome-editing projects

Mentor and supervise a team of ML scientists, bioinformaticians, and trainees while fostering collaboration between computational and experimental researchers

Serve as the primary liaison between AI-driven predictions and experimental validation, translating complex computational insights into actionable hypotheses

Coordinate external partnerships with academic collaborators, biotech/pharma industries, and AI-focused organizations to drive innovation

Monitor emerging AI/biology advancements and integrate them into the Core’s capabilities, contributing to grant applications and funding initiatives

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Technical Skills Required

Python Machine Learning Protein Language Models

Benefits & Perks

Welfare scheme with tax benefits for relocating candidates

Relocation assistance (allowance, visa/residence support, Italian language training)

Work-life balance solutions (flexible/remote work, 5-month paid maternity leave, on-campus nursery)

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Nice to Have

Experience applying AI to therapeutic protein engineering (e.g., antibodies, enzymes, RNA-targeting systems)

Background in biotech/pharma or industrial R&D environments

Familiarity with benchmarking datasets (e.g., ProteinGym, MaveDB) and collaborative software development practices

Job Description

Fondazione Telethon (FT) is a leading biomedical charity committed to advancing research into tangible therapeutic options for people living with rare genetic diseases. Through its affiliated research institutes – TIGEM (Naples) and SR-TIGET (Milan) – FT has established an internationally recognized track record in gene and cell therapy, genome engineering, RNA-based therapeutics, and translational medicine.

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