Director of ML Research – AI Applications
ApherisBerlin, Germany
Posted April 30, 2026
Full Time
About the Company
Apheris is a data security and governance platform enabling secure access to data for machine learning and analytics. The Apheris Compute Gateway ensures only approved computations can be launched on sensitive data, facilitating federated learning across organizations while maintaining compliance with privacy and security standards. Founded in 2019, the company is backed by leading investors and tech innovators, specializing in ML, deep learning, privacy, and biomedical data.
Job Description
Apheris is building the future of AI applications in pharmaceutical R&D. We are looking for a Director of ML Research to lead a new team within the AI Applications group, responsible for developing production-grade AI models for drug discovery. The role will focus on applied research, working on high-value biological and customer problems, and will involve collaboration with academic partners, internal teams, and external customers.
Requirements
- Postgraduate degree (PhD or MSc) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, or a related field
- 7+ years of relevant experience, including 3+ years in technical leadership
- Strong experience applying machine learning to biological problems, particularly in structural biology (e.g. co-folding, protein modelling) or adjacent domains such as ADMET
- Proven publication track record in top-tier ML or computational biology venues
- Hands-on experience with modern ML systems (Python, PyTorch) and working with or extending large-scale models (e.g. OpenFold, Boltz)
- Ability to operate as a player-coach: setting technical direction, leading teams, and contributing directly to modelling and experimentation
- Effectiveness in cross-functional and customer-facing environments and ability to translate ambiguous scientific problems into clear technical approaches
Benefits
- Industry-competitive compensation
- Remote-first working
- Wellbeing budget
- Mental health support
- Work-from-home budget
- Co-working stipend
- Learning budget
- Generous holiday allowance
- Office Days at our Berlin HQ or a different European location (3x per year)