Engineer / Generalist / Puzzle Solver

About Autopoiesis Sciences

We're building AI capable of autonomous scientific discovery. Our mission is to reach a world where discovery is no longer bottlenecked by the number of human scientists alive to pursue it.

Reinforcement learning has taken models remarkably far in math and code, where an answer can be checked and a model can learn from ten thousand attempts. Science offers no such reward function. The judgment a scientist exercises before any result is certain, which hypothesis is worth the month, what the evidence actually supports, when to abandon a promising dead end, has never been captured at scale. That missing signal is the real bottleneck, and it's the one we build for: the environments, datasets, and expert reasoning that teach models to do science, not just recite it.

That work is already in the world. We built and operate Aristotle, an AI research partner trusted by thousands of researchers at some of the most demanding institutions in science, including GSK, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Merck, Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and the FDA. Alongside it, we're developing autonomous research systems that take on long-horizon scientific problems end to end.

Backed by leading investors and advised by the scientists who built the field, Autopoiesis is redefining what discovery looks like in the most important industry of the century.

About the role

A lot of what software engineering has meant is being automated, and that trend isn't slowing, so we're not hiring someone to write code a model will soon write faster. We're hiring someone who thinks clearly and can turn a hard problem into something real.

The work isn't fixed. One month you might build part of the product, the next you might dig into a research problem or take on something specific with the CEO. What connects it is the mission, not a particular kind of work. We care more that you understand why something works and can build it than about which tools you already know.

We're looking for someone early in their trajectory and compounding fast, with more to show in what they've made than in how long they've been at it.

Key responsibilities

• Take on whatever the mission needs, moving between product, research, and projects with the founding team.
• Build fast, turning ideas into working systems.
• Prototype, ship, and refine quickly, with the sense to know when a problem deserves more care.
• Go deep when it matters and stay a generalist otherwise, without needing a fixed lane.
• Work directly with the CEO and researchers on the problems with the most leverage.

What you'll bring

Required experience

• Clear proof you can build, whether shipped products, side projects, or research code. Show us what you've made.
• Real depth in the fundamentals, the kind of thinking that outlasts any one language or tool.
• The range and appetite to move between very different problems.
• Speed, paired with the judgment to know when to slow down.
• Hunger, and a habit of teaching yourself whatever a problem demands.

Preferred qualifications

• Exposure to ML, research environments, or scientific problems.
• Something you've shipped that people actually used.
• A view of AI tools as leverage rather than threat.
• Early-stage startup experience, or the temperament for it.

Our values

The mission is the only thing. Everything we do either moves discovery forward or it doesn't, and anything that doesn't is a day we won't get back. We hold every decision, every hire, and every week against that one question. The mission is hard enough that nothing else earns a place next to it.

Bet on the process, not the outcome. We think in expected value. A good decision made on the best available information is a good decision even when the result disappoints, and a lucky win off a bad process teaches us nothing. We reward sound reasoning, run the bets worth running, and judge ourselves by how well we chose, not only by how it landed.

Don't compete, be uncontested. Competition is a symptom of a weak position. We don't win by racing others down a crowded path, we win by building something no one else can, in a direction no one else is looking. When we find ourselves fighting for scraps, we've made a strategic mistake upstream.

Own it end to end. There are no bystanders here. We spot what's broken, take full responsibility for a strong result, and see it through. We're self-driven, own our mistakes plainly, and feel deep responsibility for what we're building.

Where we work

We are hiring for this position in our San Francisco office. We are in person 5 days a week.

What we offer

This role offers competitive salary, meaningful equity, and competitive benefits. You'll have unusual freedom to work on hard, varied problems, which also means we'll expect a lot.

Most importantly, you'll help build the systems that expand how much science humanity can do. If you want to do your life's work with us, even if you don't meet every requirement, apply now.

Application process

Due to the high volume of automated applications, we only accept applications through LinkedIn as it helps us connect with genuine candidates. We have systems in place to detect automated submissions and strongly advise against using bots or automated tools in your application process. Please be human in your approach.

Equal opportunity

Autopoiesis Sciences, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristics.