About this opportunity
Overview
TaskUs is hiring a Biology Specialist for a remote, full-time role supporting safety operations for a frontier AI company. This position focuses on expert review of flagged biological content, helping distinguish legitimate scientific discussion from potentially harmful or dual-use material. The work supports human-in-the-loop AI safety review and requires strong life-sciences judgment, clear documentation, and careful escalation handling.
The role is based in the United States, with Texas preferred. Applicants must have unrestricted U.S. work authorization. The position may involve rotational shifts or occasional weekend and holiday coverage. Selected candidates may be subject to client-directed insider-threat screening, background checks, and academic credential verification.
What You'll Do
- Review automated flags and perform first-line triage on biological threat-related queries.
- Assess topics involving select agents, high-consequence pathogens, virulence, transmissibility, immune evasion, culturing, fermentation, purification, aerosolization, stabilization, and dissemination.
- Differentiate legitimate scientific work from requests that could enable weaponization or harmful biological use.
- Apply policy-aligned labels to reviewed cases to support safety classifier training and validation.
- Verify claims against life-science literature, genomic databases, and biosecurity guidance.
- Prepare clear case notes and escalations for senior reviewers on ambiguous or high-risk items.
- Participate in calibration sessions and incorporate feedback to improve labeling consistency.
Requirements
- Graduate-level degree such as a Master's or Ph.D. in Microbiology, Virology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Synthetic Biology, Biosecurity, or a closely related discipline.
- 1-3 years of practical laboratory, research, or analytical experience in biology or biosecurity; graduate research experience may count.
- Strong understanding of virology and microbiology fundamentals.
- Familiarity with containment protocols, including BSL-2+.
- Basic knowledge of gene synthesis and CRISPR workflows, as well as pathogen handling.
- Strong written English skills and the ability to explain scientific reasoning clearly in case logs.
- Based in the United States with unrestricted work authorization; Texas residency is preferred.
Nice to Have
- Experience with the Federal Select Agent Program or international biosecurity frameworks such as the Australia Group control lists.
- Background in biodefense, public health surveillance, or dual-use research of concern (DURC).
- Experience with DNA synthesis screening protocols or computational biology tools.
- Familiarity with large language models, prompt engineering, or AI safety concepts.
- Current or previous U.S. Government Security Clearance at Secret level or above.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary range: $75,000 - $95,000 per year.
- Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) with company match, and paid time off including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
