Principal Virologist, Responsible Development and Innovation, Deepmind

Google Google · Big Tech · Mountain View, CA +2

This role focuses on evaluating AI models for biological threats, integrating scientific insights into safety frameworks, and shaping biosecurity mitigation strategies. The Principal Virologist will partner with AI researchers and engineers to embed biosecurity protocols and conduct advanced biology evaluations against AI models.

What you'd actually do

  1. Synthesize, "roll up," and clearly communicate complex technical risk data to senior stakeholders, C-suite executives, and policy leaders with clarity and authority.
  2. Integrate ongoing scientific community insights regarding biological pathogens to ensure our safety frameworks reflect real-world threat vectors.
  3. Shape Google DeepMind’s broader biosecurity mitigation strategies, ensuring safety guardrails protect against genuine misuse without bottlenecking legitimate scientific innovation.
  4. Partner closely with Research Scientists, Engineers, and ethics experts to embed biosecurity protocols directly into the model development lifecycle.
  5. Refine and directly execute advanced biology evaluations to pressure-test frontier AI models against biological threats.

Skills

Required

  • PhD in Virology or equivalent practical experience
  • 15 years of experience working with high-consequence biological pathogens within a national security, defense, or biosecurity context
  • Experience translating scientific or threat data into summaries for senior leadership and non-technical decision-makers
  • Experience in wet-lab virology, working within BSL-3 or high-containment BSL-2 environments
  • Experience analyzing the challenges of dual-use research of concern (DURC), biological weapons frameworks, and the global stakeholder landscape

Nice to have

  • Experience designing novel science evaluations, red-teaming protocols, or threat-modeling frameworks for emerging technologies
  • Experience utilizing or evaluating Large Language Models (LLMs) or biological foundation models
  • Comfort with technical infrastructure, command-line tools, or basic coding elements to interface effectively with AI research engineers
  • Active engagement with ongoing national security or international biosecurity working groups
  • Interest in AI safety frameworks, tech policy, and the ethics of frontier technologies

What the JD emphasized

  • high-consequence biological pathogens
  • national security
  • biosecurity context
  • dual-use research of concern (DURC)
  • biological weapons frameworks
  • advanced biology evaluations
  • biological foundation models