Senior Machine Learning Research Scientist (m/f/d) - Generative AI for Drug Design
- Germany - Berlin
A career at Pfizer offers opportunity, ownership and impact.
All over the world, Pfizer colleagues work together to positively impact health for everyone, everywhere. Our colleagues have the opportunity to grow and develop a career that offers both individual and company success; be part of an ownership culture that values diversity and where all colleagues are energized and engaged; and the ability to impact the health and lives of millions of people. Pfizer, a global leader in the biopharmaceutical industry, is continuously seeking top talent who are inspired by our purpose to innovate to bring therapies to patients that significantly improve their lives.
Right now, we are seeking highly qualified candidates to fill the position:
Senior Machine Learning Research Scientist (m/f/d) - Generative AI for Drug Design
Location: Berlin, Germany
Join our pioneering team at the forefront of AI-driven drug discovery.
As authors of the FLOWR and PILOT frameworks, we are expanding our group of machine learning research scientists to further advance the development and application of state-of-the-art generative models for both structure- and ligand-based drug design. In this role, you will design, implement, and validate novel machine learning tools that generate testable hypotheses and help accelerate the entire drug discovery continuum. You will work with Pfizer’s rich proprietary data, large-scale external datasets, and ultra-large data from strategic collaborations to push the boundaries of our machine learning capabilities. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research while translating innovation into real-world impact for patients.
What You Will Do
Design, develop, and validate state-of-the-art machine learning models, with a focus on generative AI and self-supervised learning
Apply modern generative frameworks (e.g., diffusion or flow-based approaches) to molecular design challenges
Develop predictive models combining structural and biochemical data (e.g., binding affinity prediction)
Explore and implement novel representation learning approaches using large-scale, unlabeled datasets
Translate emerging research in machine learning into impactful applications in drug discovery
Collaborate with cross-functional experts in computational biology, chemistry, and medicine design
Contribute to publications, conferences, and external scientific engagement
Your Profile
We are looking for individuals with strong technical expertise and curiosity to drive innovation. You may bring experience through different pathways:
Required Qualifications:
Advanced degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Computational Biology, or a related field
Proven experience in developing machine learning models and algorithms
Strong programming skills (e.g., Python)
Experience working with scientific or complex structured datasets
Preferred Qualifications:
Strong publication record in machine learning or computational science (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR or comparable venues)
Hands-on experience implementing deep learning models using frameworks such as PyTorch
Expertise in modern generative modeling techniques, such as diffusion models, flow-matching approaches, reinforcement learning and/or self-supervised learning methods (e.g., JEPA)
Experience working with scientific data types relevant to drug discovery (e.g., molecular structures, protein data, or large-scale biological datasets)
Experience with high-performance computing environments (e.g., SLURM) and/or cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud)
Familiarity with cheminformatics tools (e.g., RDKit)
Proven ability to translate research ideas into applied solutions in a scientific or industrial setting
Technologies We Use
Slurm-based on-premise compute clusters, Google Cloud Platform, AWS, Docker, Kubernetes, Python (PyTorch, numpy, pandas, scikit-learn, RDKit).
„Breakthroughs that change patients’ lives“ - Unser klares Unternehmensziel ist es, Durchbrüche zu erreichen, die das Leben von PatienInnen verändern. Sie sind der Sinn unseres Tuns. Wenn Sie Teil dieser Vision sein wollen und die gleiche Leidenschaft teilen, ist Pfizer der ideale Ort, um eine Karriere zu beginnen oder um eine erfolgreich fortzusetzen.
Überzeugt?
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Information & Business TechBreakthroughs 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)