Postdoctoral Fellow: Generative AI for Protein Engineering
- United States - Connecticut - Groton
- Germany - Berlin
Use Your Power for Purpose
At Pfizer, our purpose is to deliver breakthroughs that transform patients’ lives. At the heart of this mission is our Research and Development organization, where advanced science and cutting‑edge technologies are translated into impactful medicines and vaccines. Across discovery, development, and clinical research, our scientists play a critical role in advancing innovative therapies that improve health outcomes for patients around the world.
Within Pfizer Research & Development, the Medicine Design (MD) group is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Scholar to conduct independent and collaborative research in computational protein design and optimization. This postdoctoral position focuses on developing and applying modern computational and machine learning–based approaches to accelerate the discovery of next‑generation biologic therapeutics. The role sits at the intersection of machine learning, protein science, and therapeutic discovery, offering an exceptional opportunity to translate foundational AI research into real‑world drug design applications.
The selected postdoctoral fellow will pursue high‑impact, publishable research while working closely with multidisciplinary scientists across Pfizer R&D. In addition, the postdoc will join a cohort of AI‑focused postdoctoral researchers spanning a range of research topics, providing a vibrant community for peer mentorship, collaboration, and exposure to diverse applications of machine learning in drug discovery and development. The program strongly supports professional growth through structured mentorship, scientific publication, and career development.
What You Will Achieve
In this role, you will:
Conduct original research in computational protein engineering, with an emphasis on sequence- and structure-based generative modeling for protein fiducial design (i.e., RFDiffusion, ProteinMPNN).
Develop and deploy state-of-the-art ML methods for multi-objective, constraint-aware protein optimization, balancing affinity, stability, and developability.
Apply proprietary computational framework and ML models for protein developability engineering.
Communicate research findings through manuscripts, conference presentations, and internal seminars.
Be an active member of a highly interdisciplinary team, collaborate with computational and experimental researchers in a multidisciplinary research environment.
Basic Requirements (must have)
Ph.D. degree in computational chemistry, physical or biological sciences, chemical engineering, computer science, or related discipline.
Less than 2 years of post-degree experience.
Willingness to make a minimum 2-year commitment.
Candidates advancing to interview stage must provide two letters of recommendation.
Successful record of scientific accomplishments evidenced by scientific publications and/or presentations with at least 2-3first-author publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Strong familiarity with state-of-the-art protein engineering tools (i.e., RFDiffusion, ProteinMPNN (e.g., flow matching/diffusion models/antibody design/protein design/small molecule design).
Strong working knowledge of modern protein engineering and generative modeling approaches, such as RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN, and related diffusion‑ or flow‑based methods applied to protein, antibody, and/or small‑molecule design.
Solid foundation in protein language models and structure‑aware generative models, with demonstrated application to biological sequence and structural data.
Hands‑on experience with machine learning and computational biology libraries, including PyTorch (required) and RDKit (required).
Proficiency in Python programming, with experience using components of the scientific Python ecosystem (e.g., NumPy, SciPy, pandas) for research and model development.
Familiarity with running compute‑intensive machine learning experiments, including experience with GPU‑accelerated workflows and high‑performance computing environments (e.g., Slurm) or a strong interest in developing these skills.
Strong intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for data‑driven research, with the ability to translate novel ideas into well‑designed computational experiments and research prototypes.
Preferred Requirements (nice to have)
Prior experience or demonstrated interest in antibody design or protein engineering.
Experience fine‑tuning foundation models using small and biased datasets.
Familiarity with antibody developability properties is highly desirable.
Experience with reinforcement learning, Bayesian optimization, or other advanced multi-objective optimization techniques.
Experience with molecular dynamics physics-based simulations
Experience training and deploying models in cloud environments (e.g., AWS, or GCP), including containers (Docker), orchestration (Kubernetes), and basic MLOps practices (versioning, CI/CD, monitoring).
Additional Information
Relocation support available
Work Location Assignment: Hybrid
Last day to apply April 30th, 2026
Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.
U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

Sunshine Act
Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider’s name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.
EEO & Employment Eligibility
Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.
Pfizer endeavors to make www.pfizer.com/careers accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process and/or interviewing, please email disabilityrecruitment@pfizer.com. This is to be used solely for accommodation requests with respect to the accessibility of our website, online application process and/or interviewing. Requests for any other reason will not be returned.
Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives
Research confirms what intuition tells us: that purpose-driven companies perform better, are more innovative, attract and retain the best people, and know how to unleash the power of those people. Pfizer’s purpose—Breakthroughs that change patients' lives—fuels everything we do and reflects our passion for building on our legacy as one of the greatest contributors of good to the world.
Each word in our purpose has meaning and reflects the value we strive to bring to patients and society:
“Breakthroughs” - These are the innovations, scientific and commercial, that we seek to deliver every day. All colleagues, regardless of role, level or location, strive for breakthroughs every day.
“Change” - We want to do more than simply improve patients’ medical conditions; we want to dramatically change their lives for the better.
“Patients’ lives” - We consider not only patients, but everyone they touch—including their families, caregivers, and friends—and everything they love to do. It’s an intentionally holistic view.
Our purpose ensures that patients remain at the center of all we do. We live our purpose by sourcing the best science in the world; partnering with others in the healthcare system to improve access to our medicines; using digital technologies to enhance our drug discovery and development, as well as patient outcomes; and leading the conversation to advocate for pro-innovation/pro-patient policies.
Every decision we make and every action we take is done with the patient in mind—and to nurture an environment where breakthroughs can thrive.
Our Values
To fully realize Pfizer’s purpose, we have established a clear set of expectations regarding “what” we need to achieve for patients and “how” we will go about achieving those goals.
The “how” is represented by four simple, powerful values—courage, excellence, equity, and joy—that define our company and our culture.
Courage: Breakthroughs start by challenging convention, especially in the face of uncertainty or adversity. This happens when we think big, speak up, and are decisive.
Excellence: We can only change patients’ lives when we perform at our best together. This happens when we focus on what matters, agree who does what, and measure our outcomes.
Equity: We believe that every person deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for. This happens when we are inclusive, act with integrity, and reduce healthcare disparities.
Joy: We give ourselves to our work, but it also gives to us. We find joy when we take pride, recognize one another, and have fun.
Pfizer Research & Development
Pfizer Research & Development serves as the beating heart of Pfizer's trailblazing product pipeline, the essence of our mission to bring life-changing medicines to the world.
With an unwavering commitment to innovation, we use a multidisciplinary approach that blends scientific expertise, cutting-edge technologies, and strategic collaborations, igniting a powerful engine that propels groundbreaking discoveries into life-saving treatments for patients in need.
Through our relentless pursuit of progress, we envision a future where cutting-edge medicines pave the way to healthier, happier lives worldwide.
Benefits at Pfizer
Pfizer offers competitive compensation and benefits programs designed to meet the diverse needs of our colleagues. Our Pay for Performance Philosophy and Practices reward colleagues based on the contributions they make to our business.
Our Competitive Benefits Programs help our colleagues by:
- Promoting Health and Wellness to help colleagues maintain and improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Pfizer offerings include health and disability insurance, preventative health programs, medical screenings, free or reduced-cost vaccinations, discounts on Pfizer products, mental health support, nutrition and fitness counseling and more.
- Strengthening Colleagues’ Financial Security by providing company contributions to retirement plans, life insurance and financial planning education to help colleagues achieve their financial goals.
- Providing Benefits and Time off for the Moments that Matter to ensure Pfizer colleagues have the time away from the office to recharge, recover and return to work as the best version of themselves. Vacation, Holiday time and Sick time are just the beginning, with a 12 week parental leave policy for both parents of a new born, 10 day of caregiver leave for those times when your family needs you whether it’s a child, spouse or parent, bereavement leave, and additional country-specific programs.
- And so much more, depending on your country and site, Pfizer offers childcare facilities or discount programs, on-site health and/or fitness centers, movement and mindfulness solutions, “Log in for your Day” work flexibility and so much more.
For U.S. based jobs, view an overview of Pfizer’s U.S. benefits program (opens in a new window)