Senior Scientist – De Novo Peptide Design

Role Summary

• Set up and maintain the computational design pipeline, using generative AI tools such as RFpeptide and BoltzGen.
• Perform physics-based filtering of designs via molecular dynamics simulations (e.g. Amber, Schrödinger, or GROMACS) and docking (e.g. Rosetta FlexPepDock, HADDOCK, AutoDock CrankPep) to refine and prioritise candidates.
• Provide high-confidence peptide sequences for synthesis and wet lab validation.

• Interface with internal biophysical and peptide chemistry teams to coordinate peptide synthesis and wet lab testing.
• Translate experimental feedback into iterative improvements to peptide designs.
• Develop working knowledge of RNA therapeutics, oligonucleotide medicinal chemistry, and the principles of ligand-based delivery.
• Collaborate with wet lab colleagues to bring a computational perspective to shared problems.
• Act as a low-ego, self-starting contributor able to drive projects forward independently while staying closely aligned with the wider team.

• Keep clear documentation of designs and results.
• Present computational and experimental work internally and, when appropriate, externally.
• Educate leadership on emerging peptide design methods and advocate for their adoption.
• Communicate progress, results, and design rationale to wet lab peers and to leadership, keeping the design-build-test cycle moving.
• Work closely with the legal team to provide the information needed for intellectual property protection.

Person Specification

• PhD in Protein/Peptide Design, Computational Biology, Biophysics, Computational Chemistry, Peptide Chemistry, Bioinformatics or relevant field, with 2+ years of postdoc and/or industry experience.
• Demonstrable de novo peptide design experience.
• Hands-on experience building and running computational pipelines in Linux and cloud compute environments (AWS or similar).
• Track record of driving designs through to experimental validation.
• Proficiency with generative design tools (RFpeptide, BoltzGen, etc.).
• Peptide–protein docking experience (Rosetta FlexPepDock, HADDOCK, AutoDock CrankPep, etc.) is preferred.
• Familiarity with molecular dynamics simulations and analyses is preferred.
• Strong communication skills, with the confidence to advocate for your work and present effectively to leadership.
• Enthusiasm to learn the fundamentals of RNA therapeutics.
• Ability to effectively work with a cross-disciplinary team that includes chemistry, cell biology, and neuroscience.

Values and Culture

• Walk on Air: Pursue bold ideas with ambition to solve meaningful problems that create real impact
• Time is Neurons: Every moment counts for patients – act with urgency and care, making data-driven decisions without compromise. 
• Win or Learn: Embrace curiosity, adapt quickly and continuously improve
• We Before Me: Seek diverse perspectives, collaborate with humility, openness and respect, and prioritise collective success above individual advancement.

Why us?

About us

Aerska is a biotechnology company pioneering RNA medicines to treat, delay, and prevent diseases of the brain. We are leveraging advances in ‘brain shuttles’ to enable targeted delivery of next-generation RNAi therapeutics to the CNS. By silencing the genes that cause harm, Aerska aims to preserve the minds, protect the memories, and enable our loved ones to live longer, healthier lives.

We are entering an exciting period of growth and are seeking talented individuals who want to be part of a mission-driven company redefining how brain diseases are treated. Joining now means helping shape a fast-growing organisation with the potential to change millions of lives.