Remote Molecular Biology & Quantitative Bioinformatics Scientist (PhD) — 100% Remote Specialist Contract

ZR Talent Group has an active remote opening for a Remote Molecular Biology & Quantitative Bioinformatics Scientist (PhD) — 100% Remote Specialist Contract ($45 - $90/hour). This flexible work-from-home role pairs experienced practitioners in scientific software configuration, ai/ml-assisted chemistry workflows, quantitative analysis, analytical reasoning with leading machine learning laboratories to author high-difficulty prompts, verify factual and technical rigor, and refine multi-step reasoning outputs.

Prior experience building machine learning systems is not required—our research partners value authentic practitioner judgment, domain rigor, and clear analytical writing.

Key Responsibilities & Deliverables

• Design, evaluate, and critique biology, bioinformatics, and computational biology workflows to support AI benchmarking initiatives.
• Provide expert-level insights on genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and other biological data analysis pipelines.
• Assess and optimize pipeline parameters, tool configurations, and statistical methods for accuracy and reproducibility.
• Analyze biological datasets (e.g., NGS, RNA-seq, single-cell, variant calling, protein structure) and provide actionable recommendations.
• Leverage domain knowledge to guide the development and validation of biology-related frontier AI reasoning systems and tools.
• Communicate complex scientific concepts clearly, both in writing and verbally, to technical and non-technical collaborators.
• Document findings, methodologies, and best practices to ensure knowledge transfer across the customer’s team.
• Areas of Expertise (we welcome applicants from any of the following):
• Genomics & NGS analysis
• Transcriptomics & single-cell analysis
• Proteomics & structural biology
• Molecular & cell biology
• Systems biology & biological network analysis
• Drug discovery & computational pharmacology
• Biostatistics & machine learning applied to biology

Required Qualifications & Technical Criteria

• PhD in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics, or a closely related STEM field, or equivalent industry/research experience.
• Fluent written and verbal English communication (C1 or higher).
• Deep expertise in at least one of the areas listed above, with hands-on experience analyzing real biological data.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R for scientific analysis, plus experience with standard tools in your subfield (e.g., BLAST, samtools, GATK, Bioconductor, Biopython).
• Strong statistical, quantitative, and analytical reasoning skills.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication abilities, with the ability to clearly document and explain technical concepts.
• Track record of rigorous scientific problem-solving in complex biological domains.

Preferred Experience & Bonus Attributes

• Experience building reproducible workflows (Nextflow, Snakemake) and working in Linux/command-line environments.
• Practical background using AI/ML-assisted biology workflows or benchmarking.
• Peer-reviewed publications, patents, or contributions to open-source bioinformatics software.

Compensation, Remote Eligibility & Schedule

• Compensation Band: $45 - $90/hour
• Work Model: 100% Remote / Work From Home with flexible asynchronous scheduling
• Eligible Remote Locations: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and South Africa
• Current Openings: 50 active specialist positions
• Hiring Organization: ZR Talent Group
• Core Skills & Technologies: scientific software configuration, ai/ml-assisted chemistry workflows, quantitative analysis, analytical reasoning, scientific programming, written communication, verbal communication, documentation, problem-solving