Senior Data Scientist - AI/ML (CADD) December 12, 2025

Chemify Ltd
Glasgow
3 days ago
Create job alert

Chemify is revolutionising chemistry. We are creating a future where the synthesis of previously unimaginable molecules, drugs, and materials is instantly accessible. By combining AI, robotics, and the world’s largest continually expanding database of chemical programs, we are accelerating chemical discovery to improve quality of life and extend the reach of humanity.

Job Description:

We seek a talented and motivated Senior AI/ML Data Scientist to pioneer the development and application of cutting-edge machine learning models for computer-aided drug design (CADD) and small molecule discovery.

You will be joining a dynamic, cross-disciplinary team of computational scientists, medicinal chemists, and engineers. Your primary focus will be on architecting, training, and deploying sophisticated models to predict molecular properties, generate novel models, and ultimately accelerate our drug discovery pipelines.

To be successful in this role, you will need deep expertise in modern machine learning, particularly generative AI (Transformers, Diffusion Models), Graph Neural Networks, and predictive modeling. You will leverage your skills to tackle complex scientific challenges, working with vast and diverse chemical and biological datasets.

If you are passionate about applying state-of-the-art AI to solve fundamental challenges in chemistry and are driven to see your work make a real-world impact on discovering new medicines, we’d love to have you join our team.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Design, develop, and optimize state-of-the-art generative models (e.g., Transformers, GNNs, Diffusion Models) for robotic tasks synthetic routes.
  • Architect and implement scalable MLOps pipelines for preprocessing large-scale chemical and biological datasets, model training, and rigorous evaluation.
  • Translate cutting-edge research in AI/ML into practical solutions that address critical challenges in our drug discovery projects, such as property prediction (ADMET/QSAR), reaction prediction, and binding affinity prediction.
  • Collaborate closely with computational chemists, medicinal chemists, and software engineers to define project goals, interpret model outputs, and integrate AI-driven insights into our discovery platform.
  • Design and execute robust experiments to evaluate model performance, focusing on chemical validity, novelty, synthesizability, and predictive accuracy against experimental data.
  • Clearly communicate complex technical concepts, model results, and strategic recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Stay at the forefront of AI for drug discovery, foundation models for science, and multimodal learning, continuously identifying and championing opportunities to enhance our capabilities.

What you’ll bring:

  • MSc or PhD with 5+ years of industry or academic experience in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Chemistry/Biology, or a closely related field.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
  • Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of modern machine learning architectures, including Transformers, Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), and generative models (VAEs, GANs, Diffusion Models) as applied to scientific problems.
  • Proven ability to lead complex AI/ML projects from concept to deployment in a scientific or drug discovery context.
  • Extensive experience working with large-scale molecular datasets (e.g., SMILES, 3D conformations), biological data (e.g., protein sequences, assay data), and other scientific data formats.
  • Experience with efficient model training and fine-tuning techniques, such as LoRA, quantization, distillation, and model pruning.
  • Strong background or hands-on experience applying ML to problems involving protein structures, small molecule interactions, or related biological data.
  • Familiarity with scalable computing environments, GPU acceleration, and distributed training.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration in a multidisciplinary team.
  • A collaborative mindset, strong communication skills, and the ability to work effectively within a cross-disciplinary team.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and a proactive, can-do attitude.
  • An eagerness to learn new scientific concepts, computational methods, and software engineering practices from experienced mentors.
  • Good understanding of version control with Git.

Beneficial Skills:

  • Hands-on experience with cheminformatics toolkits such as RDKit.
  • Experience with Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems, including vector databases (e.g., Redis, FAISS, Milvus, Pinecone) for querying large chemical or biological databases.
  • Experience with Protein/DNA language models (e.g., ProtBERT, ESM, Evo) or protein structure prediction models (e.g., AlphaFold-like approaches).
  • Experience with evaluation frameworks for reaction and synthetic route design, including human-in-the-loop assessment and metrics for novelty, diversity, and feasibility of synthetic pathways.
  • Strong experience with relational and non-relational databases (SQL/NoSQL), including data modeling and efficient querying for large-scale AI workflows.
  • A portfolio of projects or open-source contributions (e.g., a GitHub profile) that demonstrates your skills and passion for AI/ML development.

Advanced Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, G11 6EW


#J-18808-Ljbffr

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist - National Security (TIRE) based in Cheltenham/Hybrid

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Machine Learning Job Applications (UK Guide)

Whether you’re applying for machine learning engineer, applied scientist, research scientist, ML Ops or data scientist roles, hiring managers scan applications quickly — often making decisions before they’ve read beyond the top third of your CV. In the competitive UK market, it’s not enough to list skills. You must send clear signals of relevance, delivery, impact, reasoning and readiness for production — and do it within the first few lines of your CV or portfolio. This guide walks you through exactly what hiring managers look for first in machine learning applications, how they evaluate CVs and portfolios, and what you can do to improve your chances of getting shortlisted at every stage — from your CV and LinkedIn profile to your cover letter and project portfolio.

MLOps Jobs in the UK: The Complete Career Guide for Machine Learning Professionals

Machine learning has moved from experimentation to production at scale. As a result, MLOps jobs have become some of the most in-demand and best-paid roles in the UK tech market. For job seekers with experience in machine learning, data science, software engineering or cloud infrastructure, MLOps represents a powerful career pivot or progression. This guide is designed to help you understand what MLOps roles involve, which skills employers are hiring for, how to transition into MLOps, salary expectations in the UK, and how to land your next role using specialist platforms like MachineLearningJobs.co.uk.

The Skills Gap in Machine Learning Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Machine learning has moved from academic research into the core of modern business. From recommendation engines and fraud detection to medical imaging, autonomous systems and language models, machine learning now underpins many of the UK’s most critical technologies. Universities have responded quickly. Machine learning modules are now standard in computer science degrees, specialist MSc programmes have proliferated, and online courses promise to fast-track careers in the field. And yet, despite this growth in education, UK employers consistently report the same problem: Many candidates with machine learning qualifications are not job-ready. Roles remain open for months. Interview processes filter out large numbers of applicants. Graduates with strong theoretical knowledge struggle when faced with practical tasks. The issue is not intelligence or effort. It is a persistent skills gap between university-level machine learning education and real-world machine learning jobs. This article explores that gap in depth: what universities teach well, what they routinely miss, why the gap exists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build successful careers in machine learning.