---
title: 'Director of Science at MyHeritage'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-science-myheritage-israel-eavw5atbd0y5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-04'
---

# Director of Science at MyHeritage

- **Company:** MyHeritage
- **Location:** Israel
- **Posted:** 2026-10-12
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-04
- **Apply:** https://careers.myheritage.com/jobs/8273879?gh_jid=8273879

## Job description

## About MyHeritage

MyHeritage is a global leader in family history and consumer DNA testing, enriching the lives of millions worldwide by enabling them to uncover more about themselves and where they belong. With a suite of intuitive products, billions of historical records, an affordable at-home DNA test, and AI-powered photo tools, MyHeritage creates a meaningful discovery experience that is deeply rewarding.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Director of Science to guide MyHeritage's scientific research and development in genetics and genomics. As the company expands beyond genetic genealogy into health-related products, including clinical genomics, high coverage whole genome sequencing, and wellness and trait analyses, this role will be central to building the algorithms, pipelines, and scientific standards behind them. It will also support the continued development of our core genetic genealogy products, including ethnicity estimation, relationship inference, local ancestry, and more.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in computational genomics, method development and machine learning with hands-on clinical genomics experience, strong leadership, and a proven ability to execute in a dynamic, consumer-facing environment.

Your work will directly impact millions of users worldwide, helping them discover their health, ancestry and connect with family through science. You’ll apply cutting-edge methods to analyze millions of DNA samples and family trees, leveraging one of the largest consumer genetics datasets in the world.

## Key Responsibilities

- Scientific leadership: Define and execute the scientific roadmap aligned with company goals, including the expansion into health and clinical genomics.
- Team leadership: Manage and mentor a team of senior scientists and data scientists. Provide technical direction, support professional growth, and foster a culture of scientific excellence.
- Algorithmic research: Lead the design, development and validation of scalable, production-ready algorithms and pipelines. These include sequencing analysis and variant interpretation, carrier screening, polygenic risk scores, and new genetic genealogy methods.
- Collaboration and communication: Work closely with engineering, product, and data teams to translate research into user-facing features. Clearly communicate scientific concepts, limitations, and progress internally and externally.

The ideal candidate will have

- Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genetics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
- Strong track record in computational genomics and algorithm development.
- Hands-on experience with clinical genomics and analysis of sequencing data (WGS/WES), including variant calling, annotation, and interpretation.
- Experience applying machine learning or statistical modeling to biological data.
- 5+ years of experience in scientific research, including 3+ years in a leadership role.
- Experience with large-scale genomic datasets and production-scale computational pipelines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to lead projects and collaborate across disciplines.
- Advantages: experience in regulated or clinical genomics settings, polygenic risk scores, or carrier screening; familiarity with population or statistical genetics; AWS experience.

Why Join Us?

- Join a purpose-driven company helping people discover their heritage through the power of science.
- Be part of a collaborative, international team driven by innovation and scientific discovery.
- Enjoy a hybrid work environment with flexibility and autonomy.

## Benefits at MyHeritage

Our employees enjoy a range of benefits to enhance work-life balance and well-being:

- Hybrid work model
- Modern, beautiful offices in Or Yehuda and Tel Aviv with shuttle service from Tel Aviv and employee parking (for our Or Yehuda employees)
- On-site Gym and Pilates classes
- Dog-friendly office
- Well-stocked kitchens and a monthly meal allowance
- Fully funded supplemental health insurance

#LI-Hybrid

## About MyHeritage

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: MyHeritage is an online genealogy platform that helps users build family trees, explore billions of historical records, and discover their ethnic origins through DNA testing.
- **Entity Type**: Private (acquired by Francisco Partners in 2021)
- **Headquarters**: Or Yehuda, Israel (with additional offices in Tel Aviv, Israel; Lehi, Utah, USA; Los Angeles, USA; Edinburgh, UK)
- **Founded**: 2003
- **Founders**: Gilad Japhet (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Internet, genealogy, genetic genealogy, consumer genomics
- **Target customers**: B2C – individuals and families interested in genealogy, heritage, and DNA testing; also serves genealogists and researchers
- **Mission statement**: “Revolutionizing family history, making it easier than ever for people to connect to their roots, and reuniting families all over the world.”

## Products & Services
- **MyHeritage.com** – Web-based family tree builder and historical record search engine (38.6 billion records, 58 million family trees). Includes automatic matching technologies (Smart Matches, Instant Discoveries).
- **MyHeritage DNA** – At-home DNA test kit that provides ethnicity breakdown and relative matching (9.6 million DNA database as of 2021).
- **MyHeritage Mobile App** – Mobile genealogy platform for on-the-go family tree building and photo features.
- **Family Tree Builder** – Free desktop genealogy software.
- **Photo Features** – AI-powered tools to repair, enhance, colorize, and animate photos (e.g., Deep Nostalgia™).
- **MyHeritage DNA Health** – DNA health test (offered in select markets) providing health and wellness insights.
- **Legacy Family Tree Webinars** – Acquisition providing educational content for genealogists.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Acquired for $600 million in early 2021 by Francisco Partners. Private company; current valuation not disclosed.
- **Key Metric**: Over 1 million annual paying subscribers (as of 2021); 38.6 billion historical records; 58 million family trees; 9.6 million DNA kits sold.
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Francisco Partners (private equity owner); prior investors include Bessemer Venture Partners, Accel, and Index Ventures (pre-acquisition).
- **Growth Signals**: 10+ acquisitions including Filae (France) and Legacy Family Tree Webinars; surpassed 1M subscribers; continues to invest in AI (Deep Nostalgia, photo enhancement) and DNA database expansion.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Massive proprietary dataset**: 38.6 billion historical records and a large, growing DNA database create strong network effects.
- **AI/ML innovation**: Deep Nostalgia and other photo features are market-differentiating – they are widely shared on social media, driving viral growth.
- **Multilingual platform**: Available in 42 languages, giving it a global reach vs. competitors focused on English-speaking markets.
- **Affordable DNA testing**: Often priced lower than AncestryDNA or 23andMe, appealing to cost-conscious users.
- **Pro bono projects**: DNA Quest (reuniting adoptees) and other initiatives build brand trust and emotional connection.

## Strategic Focus
- **Continued AI integration**: Adding more machine learning features to enhance user experience (photo animation, record matching).
- **Growing DNA database**: Increasing the size of the DNA database to improve matching accuracy and add health-related products.
- **International expansion**: Deepening presence in non-English markets (e.g., France via Filae acquisition).
- **Monetization of subscribers**: Converting free users into paid subscribers by offering premium record access and advanced features.
- **Post-acquisition integration**: Under Francisco Partners, focusing on profitable growth and operational efficiency.

## Why Work Here
- **Meaningful product**: Employees describe making a tangible difference in users’ lives by connecting families and preserving heritage.
- **Culture**: Top-rated on Glassdoor; emphasizes transparency, collaboration, and innovation. Pet-friendly offices, hybrid work model (remote + office flexibility).
- **Team & growth**: ~520-550 employees globally; small enough to have impact, large enough to work on challenging scalability and ML problems.
- **Perks**: Supplemental health insurance, well-being program, professional development opportunities, 10bis (meal card), and a fun, social environment.
- **Tech stack**: Diverse modern stack (CI/CD, ML/AI, scalability challenges) – attractive for engineers who want to work on meaningful tech.

## Sources
1. [careers.myheritage.com](https://careers.myheritage.com/)
2. [myheritage.com/about-myheritage](https://www.myheritage.com/about-myheritage/)
3. [careers.myheritage.com/positions-lobby](https://careers.myheritage.com/positions-lobby/)
4. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyHeritage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyHeritage)

## Other roles at MyHeritage

- [B2C Sales](https://feeny.ai/job/b2c-sales-myheritage-or-yehuda-30z7sj1901sk) — Or Yehuda
- [Controller](https://feeny.ai/job/controller-myheritage-or-yehuda-fzcb7fhseqtf) — Or Yehuda, Israel
- [Retention Representative](https://feeny.ai/job/retention-representative-myheritage-tel-aviv-4wwkaj1ykpd2) — Tel Aviv
- [Senior Security Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-security-engineer-myheritage-or-yehuda-bry3gwb3jf0q) — Or Yehuda, Israel
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-myheritage-or-yehuda-sd0zrj1hmbr5) — Or Yehuda, Israel