Senior Researcher Jobs in Washington
Senior Researcher jobs in Washington are concentrated in biomedical sciences, technology policy, environmental and climate research, and defense-related programs, making the state one of the more active markets in the country for this level of work. The heaviest hiring runs through Seattle, Bellevue, and the Tri-Cities area, where institutions such as the University of Washington, the Allen Institute, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory maintain ongoing research programs at the senior level. The most in-demand specialties are computational biology, machine learning research, and environmental systems science. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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A-Alpha Bio is an early-stage, rapidly growing biotechnology platform company headquartered in Seattle, WA. We are focused on building the foundational data layer for AI-driven protein engineering. We provide biopharma companies and model builders with access to ground truth experimental datasets, including affinity and structure, for training, benchmarking and validating AI protein models. In parallel, we apply our data and models directly with select partners to engineer next-generation dual-specific and molecular glue therapeutics, and to discover and optimize differentiated biologics.
A-Alpha Bio is headquartered in Seattle, WA, but remote applicants are welcome to apply. Candidates must reside in the United States.
Starting Salary Range: $164,000 - $206,000 annually
Exemption Status: Exempt
Location Expectations: Remote-Eligible (expected travel to Seattle HQ once per quarter)
Reporting To: Director, Machine Learning Research
Role Description
A-Alpha Bio is seeking a Senior Scientist, Machine Learning Research to turn large-scale protein interaction data into insights and models that advance antibody and protein engineering. The role focuses on developing innovative AI/ML methods that learn from millions of protein-protein interaction data points to predict and engineer protein binding. The Senior Scientist will take a technical lead on challenging AI/ML projects within the ML Research team, including de novo design of antibodies or minibinders as well as models for affinity prediction and developability optimization. The Senior Scientist will work together with other ML Scientists to design and execute experiments (both in silico and in vitro with the help of wet-lab colleagues), support long-term AI/ML research initiatives, and communicate scientific results to the ML Research team and broader company, as well as to external collaborators and partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop AI/ML methods. Design and implement novel AI/ML approaches for the prediction and engineering of protein-protein interactions, drawing on experimental measurements, protein sequences, and structural information, and use these approaches to solve challenges in drug discovery and optimization.
- Evaluate rigorously. Design benchmarks and evaluations that assess model performance, uncertainty, and generalization, using appropriate baselines and guarding against data leakage so that conclusions are scientifically defensible and reproducible.
- Deliver results. Generate deliverables (such as data packages, model executables, and technical reports) to a level of quality suitable for use within the company and by external collaborators, in accordance with assigned timelines.
- Contribute code and data. Expertly contribute to the shared company codebase and database, helping teammates understand judgements and decisions, authoring and reviewing merge requests, documenting methods, organizing data, and ensuring that new capabilities and data are effectively rolled out to the rest of the team.
- Advance our scientific capabilities. Apply scientific discipline and critical thinking to propose and analyze experiments, stay current with emerging technologies and trends, and identify and develop innovative computational approaches that increase the value of AlphaSeq data for protein engineering.
- Lead, collaborate, and communicate. Take a technical leadership role on assigned projects interfacing across departments, provide mentorship to colleagues, help write and publish technical blog articles or scientific papers, and represent A-Alpha Bio publicly at conferences and/or in scientific discussions with key collaborators.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
- PhD in a quantitative or life sciences field (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, etc.) with 4+ years of professional experience in software development and AI/ML, including 2+ years of hands-on experience with AI/ML using biological sequence and/or structure data; or Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or life sciences field with 12+ years of relevant experience, including 6+ years of professional experience in software development and AI/ML; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Strong experience with deep learning, spanning modern software frameworks (PyTorch, JAX), model architectures and approaches (variational autoencoders [VAEs], transformers, graph neural networks [GNNs], diffusion, and flow matching), and common protein engineering tasks (protein language models, inverse folding, and protein structure prediction)
- Strong proficiency with data science best practices, including wrangling and transforming data, model training, model selection, cross-validation, and deployment at scale
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain methods, findings, and limitations to computational and experimental audiences, as well as to external collaborators and partners
Preferred
- Expertise with cloud computing, particularly Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Proficiency with best practices using large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI tools to assist in code generation and modeling
- Experience analyzing large experimental datasets and making scientifically defensible decisions about data quality, statistical methods, and interpretation
- Thorough understanding of concepts from biology, chemistry, and physics that govern molecular properties and interactions
- Familiarity with the state of the art in antibody engineering, protein engineering, synthetic biology, or other high-throughput biology environments with particular emphasis on the relationship between sequence, structure, and function
In 2018, A-Alpha Bio spun out of the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology – both communities filled with brilliant and highly entrepreneurial scientists. Since the company's inception, we have built and scaled AlphaSeq, our high-throughput platform for quantitatively measuring protein-protein interactions at unprecedented scale. What began as a technology for generating large, standardized affinity datasets has grown into a broader data engine for AI-driven protein engineering. New members of the team should expect a fast-paced, highly dynamic, and interdisciplinary work environment. We are building a diverse, meritocratic, and supportive team that shares our values of speaking the truth, shooting for the moon, taking the reins, playing for the team, and improving the world.
A-Alpha Bio is headquartered in a custom designed lab and office space in downtown Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. We are fortunate to be situated in a region that is renowned for its premier outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, kayaking, sailing, and more. At A-Alpha, you'll find many who love the outdoors, but also gamers, amateur chefs, explorers, sports fans, bakers, crafters, photographers, brewers, jetsetters, animal lovers, and artists. Whatever your passions, you belong at A-Alpha Bio!
A-Alpha Bio is an early-stage, rapidly growing biotechnology platform company headquartered in Seattle, WA. We are focused on building the foundational data layer for AI-driven protein engineering. We provide biopharma companies and model builders with access to ground truth experimental datasets, including affinity and structure, for training, benchmarking and validating AI protein models. In parallel, we apply our data and models directly with select partners to engineer next-generation dual-specific and molecular glue therapeutics, and to discover and optimize differentiated biologics.
A-Alpha Bio is headquartered in Seattle, WA, but remote applicants are welcome to apply. Candidates must reside in the United States.
Starting Salary Range: $164,000 - $206,000 annually
Exemption Status: Exempt
Location Expectations: Remote-Eligible (expected travel to Seattle HQ once per quarter)
Reporting To: Director, Machine Learning Research
Role Description
A-Alpha Bio is seeking a Senior Scientist, Machine Learning Research to turn large-scale protein interaction data into insights and models that advance antibody and protein engineering. The role focuses on developing innovative AI/ML methods that learn from millions of protein-protein interaction data points to predict and engineer protein binding. The Senior Scientist will take a technical lead on challenging AI/ML projects within the ML Research team, including de novo design of antibodies or minibinders as well as models for affinity prediction and developability optimization. The Senior Scientist will work together with other ML Scientists to design and execute experiments (both in silico and in vitro with the help of wet-lab colleagues), support long-term AI/ML research initiatives, and communicate scientific results to the ML Research team and broader company, as well as to external collaborators and partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop AI/ML methods. Design and implement novel AI/ML approaches for the prediction and engineering of protein-protein interactions, drawing on experimental measurements, protein sequences, and structural information, and use these approaches to solve challenges in drug discovery and optimization.
- Evaluate rigorously. Design benchmarks and evaluations that assess model performance, uncertainty, and generalization, using appropriate baselines and guarding against data leakage so that conclusions are scientifically defensible and reproducible.
- Deliver results. Generate deliverables (such as data packages, model executables, and technical reports) to a level of quality suitable for use within the company and by external collaborators, in accordance with assigned timelines.
- Contribute code and data. Expertly contribute to the shared company codebase and database, helping teammates understand judgements and decisions, authoring and reviewing merge requests, documenting methods, organizing data, and ensuring that new capabilities and data are effectively rolled out to the rest of the team.
- Advance our scientific capabilities. Apply scientific discipline and critical thinking to propose and analyze experiments, stay current with emerging technologies and trends, and identify and develop innovative computational approaches that increase the value of AlphaSeq data for protein engineering.
- Lead, collaborate, and communicate. Take a technical leadership role on assigned projects interfacing across departments, provide mentorship to colleagues, help write and publish technical blog articles or scientific papers, and represent A-Alpha Bio publicly at conferences and/or in scientific discussions with key collaborators.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
- PhD in a quantitative or life sciences field (biology, chemistry, physics, computer science, etc.) with 4+ years of professional experience in software development and AI/ML, including 2+ years of hands-on experience with AI/ML using biological sequence and/or structure data; or Bachelor's degree in a quantitative or life sciences field with 12+ years of relevant experience, including 6+ years of professional experience in software development and AI/ML; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Strong experience with deep learning, spanning modern software frameworks (PyTorch, JAX), model architectures and approaches (variational autoencoders [VAEs], transformers, graph neural networks [GNNs], diffusion, and flow matching), and common protein engineering tasks (protein language models, inverse folding, and protein structure prediction)
- Strong proficiency with data science best practices, including wrangling and transforming data, model training, model selection, cross-validation, and deployment at scale
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain methods, findings, and limitations to computational and experimental audiences, as well as to external collaborators and partners
Preferred
- Expertise with cloud computing, particularly Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Proficiency with best practices using large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI tools to assist in code generation and modeling
- Experience analyzing large experimental datasets and making scientifically defensible decisions about data quality, statistical methods, and interpretation
- Thorough understanding of concepts from biology, chemistry, and physics that govern molecular properties and interactions
- Familiarity with the state of the art in antibody engineering, protein engineering, synthetic biology, or other high-throughput biology environments with particular emphasis on the relationship between sequence, structure, and function
In 2018, A-Alpha Bio spun out of the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design and Center for Synthetic Biology – both communities filled with brilliant and highly entrepreneurial scientists. Since the company's inception, we have built and scaled AlphaSeq, our high-throughput platform for quantitatively measuring protein-protein interactions at unprecedented scale. What began as a technology for generating large, standardized affinity datasets has grown into a broader data engine for AI-driven protein engineering. New members of the team should expect a fast-paced, highly dynamic, and interdisciplinary work environment. We are building a diverse, meritocratic, and supportive team that shares our values of speaking the truth, shooting for the moon, taking the reins, playing for the team, and improving the world.
A-Alpha Bio is headquartered in a custom designed lab and office space in downtown Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. We are fortunate to be situated in a region that is renowned for its premier outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, climbing, skiing, kayaking, sailing, and more. At A-Alpha, you'll find many who love the outdoors, but also gamers, amateur chefs, explorers, sports fans, bakers, crafters, photographers, brewers, jetsetters, animal lovers, and artists. Whatever your passions, you belong at A-Alpha Bio!
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Find Senior Researcher JobsSenior Researcher Jobs by City in Washington
Where Washington roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Researcher Job Market in Washington
A snapshot from current Washington openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Artificial Intelligence
- Science & Research
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Washington Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior researcher jobs across Washington.
- Master's or doctoral degree in a relevant scientific, technical, or social science field
- Five or more years of independent research experience with peer-reviewed publications or technical reports
- Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and manage junior staff or graduate researchers
- Proficiency in quantitative or computational methods appropriate to the research domain
- Experience writing and managing federal, state, or foundation grant applications
- Strong communication skills for presenting findings to both technical and non-technical audiences
Senior Researcher Jobs in Washington: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior researcher in Washington?
Most senior researcher roles in Washington require a master's or doctoral degree in a field relevant to the position, such as biology, environmental science, public policy, computer science, or social science. Washington does not issue a state license specifically for research scientists, so advancement depends on building a record of published or applied work, securing research funding, and demonstrating leadership on multi-year projects. Researchers at institutions like the University of Washington or Washington State University often advance internally from postdoctoral or associate researcher roles.
Which companies hire senior researchers in Washington?
Companies currently hiring senior researchers in Washington include Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Amazon, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Washington's combination of major research universities, federally funded national laboratories, and large technology company campuses means senior researcher demand is spread across academic, government, and private-sector employers.
Which Washington cities have the most senior researcher jobs?
Seattle, Redmond, and Bothell account for the largest concentration of senior researcher openings in Washington. Seattle and Bellevue lead because of the University of Washington, the Allen Institute, and large technology company research divisions headquartered there, while the Tri-Cities area anchors demand through Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and affiliated defense and energy programs.
Are there remote senior researcher jobs in Washington?
Yes, and more than most fields, because senior researcher work is largely analytical, writing-intensive, and computer-based. About 27% of senior researcher openings tied to Washington are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how much of the role can be performed without a dedicated on-site laboratory. The portions most likely to remain fully remote are data analysis, literature review, grant writing, and policy research, while roles requiring wet-lab access or fieldwork will typically require at least partial on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a senior researcher in Washington with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a research assistant or associate researcher role at a Washington university, national laboratory, or research institute, where you build a portfolio of project contributions under senior supervision. The University of Washington, Washington State University, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory regularly hire entry-level research staff and postdoctoral associates who move into senior positions over time. Completing a relevant graduate degree, contributing to published studies, and building proficiency in statistical or computational tools gives candidates a clear edge when applying for those junior roles that lead upward.
Where can I find and apply to senior researcher jobs in Washington?
You can find and apply to senior researcher jobs in Washington on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from Washington employers. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your background and research focus, and apply directly to each position through the listing.
See All 38 Senior Researcher Jobs in Washington
Find roles in Washington that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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