Principal ML Scientist

Summary

Join Natera as a Principal Machine Learning Scientist and lead the development of novel machine learning and AI approaches for precision medicine. You will leverage multimodal data (genomic, transcriptomic, clinical, imaging) to power next-generation insights in precision medicine, translational research, and drug development. Collaborate with scientists, engineers, and product teams to translate cutting-edge machine learning into real-world impact. This role offers opportunities to drive scientific innovation, collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, and utilize large-scale datasets and high-performance computing. You will also mentor junior engineers and scientists and contribute to a culture of scientific and technical excellence. Publish high-impact research and contribute to open-source projects.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Statistics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 10+ years of experience applying machine learning to real-world problems, including at least 4+ years in biology (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) or precision medicine domains
• Expertise in handling and modeling large-scale, high-dimensional biological data (e.g., sequencing, imaging, clinical records)
• Deep understanding of modern ML/AI methods (e.g., deep learning, probabilistic models, representation learning) and their application to complex real-world data
• Experience integrating and modeling multimodal dataset (e.g., genomics + clinical or imaging data)
• Strong programming skills and familiarity with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Pandas/NumPy, MLFlow)
• Proven ability to work across disciplines and communicate complex results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of machine learning models that integrate multimodal data sources (e.g., WGS/WES, RNA-seq, clinical records, pathology images, real-world data)
• Develop novel algorithms and adapt state-of-the-art architectures (e.g., transformers, graph neural networks, diffusion models, embedding models) for biological and clinical applications
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define scientific questions, shape the ML roadmap, and prioritize data problems aligned with our strategic objectives
• Design and run rigorous experiments to evaluate model performance, interpretability, robustness, and fairness in high-stakes biomedical contexts
• Guide the creation of scalable, reproducible pipelines for training, evaluating, and deploying models, serving as a bridge between research innovation and production deployment
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers and scientists, contributing to a culture of scientific and technical excellence
• Publish high-impact research and contribute to open-source projects or industry consortia to extend the impact of your work

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modern ML architectures, including transformer-based models and/or alternatives suited for biological, multimodal, or structured data
• Contributions to scientific publications, preprints, or open-source projects in the genomics/ML space
• Experience with building or deploying ML systems using cloud-based infrastructure (e.g., AWS)

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents
• Free testing in addition to fertility care benefits
• Pregnancy and baby bonding leave
• 401k benefits
• Commuter benefits
• A generous employee referral program