Scientist, HIV Virology (MedTech)

TL;DR

Scientist, HIV Virology (MedTech): Establishing a comprehensive HIV research program and lab infrastructure from scratch to enable human-first drug discovery using immune organoids with an accent on assay design and BSL2+ safety compliance. Focus on building a foundational lab setup, developing validated SOPs, and executing high-rigor virology experiments.

Location: On-site in San Francisco, CA

Salary: $110K – $124K

Company

hirify.global is building a human-first drug discovery platform powered by organoids and AI to fundamentally replace animal models with real human biology.

What you will do

• Build the HIV lab from the ground up, including the procurement of equipment, reagents, and development of SOPs.
• Serve as the primary in-house expert for HIV biology, virology, and assay design.
• Develop and validate a comprehensive menu of assays, including viral load, infectivity, latency reactivation, and replication kinetics.
• Execute experiments with high rigor, critically analyzing data and making real-time adjustments.
• Co-manage biosafety to ensure the lab consistently meets BSL2+ standards.

Requirements

• Expertise in HIV virology, typically as a current or recent postdoc from a top-tier lab.
• Proven experience working under BSL2+ conditions for several years.
• Deep mastery of standard HIV assays (viral load, neutralization, integration, etc.).
• Strong background in immunology and T cell biology.
• Must be based in or able to work on-site in San Francisco, CA.
• Exceptional hands-on bench craft and scientific troubleshooting skills.

Nice to have

• Hands-on experience with organoid or 3D culture systems.
• Experience with single-cell, multi-omic, or high-content imaging readouts.
• Background in broader infectious disease research.
• Comfort collaborating with hardware engineers in an R&D environment.

Culture & Benefits

• Foundational hire role offering high ownership and direct impact on a strategically important program.
• Direct proximity to company leadership and the people setting the strategic direction.
• Mission-driven environment focused on eliminating animal testing in drug discovery.
• Fast-paced startup culture with strong financial backing from top-tier investors.