--- title: 'Senior Data Scientist, CompBio at insitro' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-data-scientist-compbio-insitro-south-san-francisco-324575g11esn' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-08' --- # Senior Data Scientist, CompBio at insitro - **Company:** insitro - **Location:** South San Francisco, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2026-08-28 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/insitro/ec4a278a-dd78-4e9c-a203-87e3e2f59e60 ## Job description ## THE OPPORTUNITY State-of-the-art technologies that measure multiple cellular aspects of in vitro biology are at the heart of insitro's efforts to accelerate drug development. Computational biology is key to elucidating the relationship between these phenotypes and human disease and translating them into actionable outcomes. We are looking for a computational biologist with expertise across diverse data modalities, including deep experience in either omics or imaging readouts, a strong understanding of cell and disease biology, and fluency with state-of-the-art analysis techniques. Your expertise will help the team navigate the complexities of identifying therapeutic targets from diverse data, elucidating biological mechanisms, and championing a culture of statistical rigor and experimental design to ensure our analyses meet the highest scientific standards. In this role, you will directly impact target prioritization and drug development efforts, advance our understanding of diseases, and aid the development of new treatments. You will be part of a cross-functional team of life scientists, data scientists, bioengineers, software engineers, and machine learning scientists who strive to identify therapeutic targets and develop drugs of high efficacy and low toxicity. Based in South San Francisco, this position reports directly to the Head of Computational Biology and ML-Omics and offers an in-person hybrid schedule of three days per week. You will be joining a vibrant biotech startup with many opportunities for significant impact. You will work closely with a highly talented team, learn a broad range of skills, and help shape insitro's culture, strategic direction, and outcomes. Join us, and help make a difference to patients! ## RESPONSIBILITIES Multimodal Analysis & Target Discovery - Synthesize Multimodal Insights: Draw insights from multimodal analyses (microscopy, spatial proteomics, bulk/single-cell RNA-seq, human cohort data) to uncover disease mechanisms and generate therapeutic hypotheses - Identify Therapeutic Targets: Analyze diverse data from disease-relevant in vitro models to identify potential therapeutic targets from perturbation screens - Discover Biomarkers: Analyze data from diverse sources to identify and validate potential biomarkers for monitoring disease status and progression Experimental Partnership - Partner on Experimental Design: Work with experimental biologists to design, troubleshoot, and optimize experiments that generate and validate mechanistic and therapeutic hypotheses - Provide Domain Expertise: Bring statistical and computational expertise to guide assay development and the biological interpretation of results Analytical Rigor & Communication - Benchmark and Calibrate: Calibrate analysis tools and workflows, define performance metrics, and conduct benchmarking to select fit-for-purpose solutions - Communicate Findings: Share results with cross-functional stakeholders through reports, visualizations, presentations, and publications ## ABOUT YOU ## Experience & Qualifications - Education & Tenure: Ph.D. in computational biology, systems biology, bioengineering, computer science, machine learning, or a related discipline, with 3+ years of working experience post-graduation - Data Modality Depth: Hands-on experience with diverse data modalities, including at least one of the following: single-cell RNA-seq, fluorescence microscopy, spatial proteomics or transcriptomics, or label-free microscopy - Statistical Foundation: Deep understanding of statistical modeling and data analysis, with a demonstrated ability to rigorously interpret complex datasets and generate mechanistic hypotheses - Biological Grounding: An understanding of molecular biology or disease biology (e.g., neurological, cardiovascular, or metabolic disorders) - Programming Skills: Strong programming ability and proficiency with Python scientific packages such as NumPy and pandas - Publication Record: Meaningful contributions to high-quality work published in relevant computational biology, systems biology, life sciences, or biomedical venues Core Competencies - Collaborative Communicator: You communicate effectively and collaborate well with people of diverse backgrounds and job functions - Engineering Discipline: You write well-commented code and documentation and are familiar with coding best practices such as version control and code review ## COMPENSATION & BENEFITS AT INSITRO Our target starting salary for successful US-based applicants for this role is $183,000 - $194,000. To determine starting pay, we consider multiple job-related factors including a candidate's skills, education and experience, market demand, business needs, and internal parity. We may also adjust this range in the future based on market data. This role is eligible for participation in our Annual Performance Bonus Plan (based on company targets by role level and annual company performance) and our Equity Incentive Plan, subject to the terms of those plans and associated policies. In addition, insitro also provides our employees: - 401(k) plan with employer matching for contributions - Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage as well as mental health and well-being support - Open, flexible vacation policy - Paid parental leave of at least 16 weeks to support parents who give birth, and 10 weeks for a new parent (inclusive of birth, adoption, fostering, etc) - Quarterly budget for books and online courses for self-development - New hire stipend for home office setup - Monthly cell phone & internet stipend - Access to free onsite baristas and daily lunch for employees who are either onsite or hybrid - Access to a free commuter bus network that provides transport to and from our South San Francisco HQ from locations all around the Bay Area insitro is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be at the foundation of our culture. We work hard to bring together diverse teams–grounded in a wide range of expertise and life experiences–and work even harder to ensure those teams thrive in inclusive, growth-oriented environments supported by equitable company and team practices. All candidates can expect equitable treatment, respect, and fairness throughout the interview process. #LI-Hybrid Please be aware of recruitment scams: we never request payments, all recruitment communications are from @insitro.com http://insitro.com, and if in doubt, contact us at info@insitro.com. ## About insitro insitro is a drug discovery and development company using machine learning (ML) and data at scale to decode biology for transformative medicines. At the core of insitro’s approach is the convergence of in-house generated multi-modal cellular data and high-content phenotypic human cohort data. We rely on these data to develop ML-driven, predictive disease models that uncover underlying biologic state and elucidate critical drivers of disease. These powerful models rely on extensive biological and computational infrastructure and allow insitro to advance novel targets and patient biomarkers, design therapeutics and inform clinical strategy. insitro is advancing a wholly owned and partnered pipeline of insights and therapeutics in neuroscience and metabolism. Since launching in 2018, insitro has raised over $700 million from top tech, biotech and crossover investors, and from collaborations with pharmaceutical partners. For more information on insitro, please visit www.insitro.com http://www.insitro.com. ## About insitro ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: insitro is a drug discovery company using machine learning, high-throughput biology, and human genetics to build causal models of disease and accelerate the development of transformative medicines. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C) - **Headquarters**: South San Francisco, California, United States - **Founded**: 2018 - **Founders**: Daphne Koller (CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Biotechnology Research; AI-driven drug discovery - **Target customers**: B2B (pharma partnerships) and self-originated pipeline – therapeutic areas including metabolism (MASH, lipogenesis), oncology, and neuroscience - **Mission/purpose**: “Bring better drugs faster to the patients who can benefit most” by decoding the complexities of biology with ML and data at scale ## Products & Services - **Insitro Platform**: An industrialized ML platform that integrates in vitro cellular data (produced in automated labs) with human clinical and genetic data to identify causal disease drivers and design optimal therapeutic interventions. - **Virtual Human™**: A genetically anchored causal AI engine that models how disease begins, progresses, and can be resolved. - **TherML™ AI Platform**: An AI system for designing optimal small molecule medicines. - **Pipeline Programs**: Wholly-owned and partnered programs in metabolism (e.g., CTRO-1013 for MASH), oncology (ADC biology), and neuroscience. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric – Total Funding**: $743M (per LinkedIn) to >$750M (per company press release); includes Series A ($100M, 2018; $100M, 2019), Series B ($143M, 2020), Series C ($400M, 2021) - **Annual Revenue**: $20.3M (LinkedIn estimate; also reported ~$140M in total collaboration revenue to date from partnerships with BMS, Lilly, and Gilead) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: a16z, ARCH, BlackRock, Casdin, CPP Investments, Foresite Capital, GV, SoftBank, Temasek, Third Rock Ventures, T. Rowe Price. Partners include Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Gilead. - **Growth Signals**: Headcount decreased ~20.6% YoY to ~211 employees; however active job postings increased 400% YoY (10 postings). The lead MASH candidate CTRO-1013 is expected to enter first-in-human clinical trials in 2026. New data presented at ADA 2025 shows anti-fibrotic signals. ## Competitive Advantages - **Causal biology focus**: Integrates human genetics, multi-modal cellular data, and clinical imaging to identify causal intervention points – distinguishes from purely correlative AI models. - **Industrialized learning loop**: Each program generates data that improves the platform’s predictive models, enabling faster scaling across therapeutic areas. - **World-class team and investors**: Led by AI pioneer Daphne Koller with backing from top-tier tech and healthcare investors. - **Revenue‑generating partnerships**: Validated by large pharma collaborations (BMS, Lilly, Gilead) bringing in ~$140M. ## Strategic Focus - **Advancing pipeline to clinic**: CTRO-1013 (IRS1 inhibitor for MASH) is the lead wholly-owned program entering human trials in 2026. Additional programs in metabolism, oncology, and neuroscience are progressing. - **Deepening platform capabilities**: Continued investment in automation, multi-modal data generation (imaging, genomics, proteomics), and ML model refinement across all biology scales. - **Expanding partnerships**: Leveraging platform to support partner drug discovery while retaining wholly-owned programs. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Cross-disciplinary environment where life scientists, data scientists, engineers, and drug hunters collaborate on first-in-class drug discovery problems. - **Work model**: Roles primarily based in South San Francisco, CA and Krakow, Poland; specific remote/hybrid policy not publicly detailed. - **Notable perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company emphasizes a “unique culture” focused on scientific breakthroughs and scaling data-driven medicine. - **Employer ratings**: Mixed (2.7/5 on LinkedIn from 31 reviews). Compensation scores higher (3.6/5) while culture (2.6/5) and career development (2.7/5) are areas of concern. - **Engineering/ML culture**: Strong focus on applying state-of-the-art ML (including generative AI, causal inference, imaging analysis) to real biological problems. Open roles span ML science, software engineering (scientific pipelines), and computational biology. - **Growth trajectory**: Despite recent headcount reductions, the near-term clinical milestone (CTRO-1013 Phase 1) and increased hiring point to a potential inflection point. ## Sources 1. [insitro.com – Company site](https://www.insitro.com/) 2. [insitro.com – Platform page](https://www.insitro.com/platform/) 3. [LinkedIn – Insitro company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/insitro) 4. [CBInsights – Insitro company profile](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/insitro) 5. [Greenhouse – Insitro careers page](https://boards.greenhouse.io/insitro) ## Other roles at insitro - [Senior Director, Quality Assurance](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-quality-assurance-insitro-south-san-francisco-9enwbdgv2t0y) — South San Francisco, CA - [Senior Scientist, Cardiac Modeling](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-scientist-cardiac-modeling-insitro-south-san-francisco-jv1ksyknx3c8) — South San Francisco, CA - [Staff Software Engineer, Imaging](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-software-engineer-imaging-insitro-south-san-francisco-50jmxgaczv65) — South San Francisco, CA - [Counsel / Senior Counsel](https://feeny.ai/job/counsel-senior-counsel-insitro-south-san-francisco-rtew4z5mnxnp) — South San Francisco, CA - [Vice President, Regulatory Affairs](https://feeny.ai/job/vice-president-regulatory-affairs-insitro-south-san-francisco-ap5d1em1hqjk) — South San Francisco, CA - [(Associate) Director, Drug Product Operations](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-drug-product-operations-insitro-south-san-francisco-2tfa0q8rvs62) — South San Francisco, CA - [(Senior) Director, Translational Medicine and Diagnostics](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-director-translational-medicine-and-diagnostics-insitro-south-san-fg3r8bm11cp4) — South San Francisco, CA - [Senior Automation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-automation-engineer-insitro-south-san-francisco-t9h19jmmdez2) — South San Francisco, CA - [Senior Manager / Associate Director, Project & Portfolio Management](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-associate-director-project-portfolio-management-insitro-south-jrx049q0j47k) — South San Francisco, CA - [Senior Manager, Imaging Machine Learning](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-imaging-machine-learning-insitro-south-san-francisco-pqbdxq8j92fv) — South San Francisco, CA