The opportunity

Substrate is building a network of fully autonomous wet labs, cloud-based data production facilities for AI biology, integrated with foundation models to become the critical infrastructure layer for AI-driven biological discovery. Our first node opens in King’s Cross, London, with several integrated workcells and two scientific verticals, protein science and functional genomics, online by mid-2027. Our customers range from foundation model labs to global pharma.

We are hiring a Chemistry Principal Scientist to develop the strategy for chemistry at Substrate. This is a deliberately exploratory hire. Your job is to figure out what shape a chemistry vertical should take, whether the case for it holds, and what the day-1 architecture should look like if it does. Depending on what you find, the role evolves: you may grow into the Chemistry Lead position, a Head of Chemistry may be recruited above you, or your chemistry expertise folds into the protein s...