Position type: Full-time, fixed-term
Duration: Two years
PHA4GE is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to the development and validation of an open-source, multi-agent AI system for bioinformatics analysis in public health. The position forms part of an international initiative to advance the responsible application of artificial intelligence in pathogen genomics and related public health applications.
The successful candidate will contribute to scientific and technical activities aligned with PHA4GE’s strategic vision and agreed project deliverables, working alongside international AI experts, bioinformaticians and public health researchers.
Minimum requirements
- A PhD in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer science, bioinformatics, computational biology or a closely related discipline.
- Demonstrated practical experience developing, implementing and evaluating AI or machine-learning models and applications, including large language models (LLMs), with experience in model validation, benchmarking and reproducibility.
- Strong programming skills, particularly in Python, with experience using command-line interfaces and relevant AI and machine-learning frameworks.
- Ability to contribute to advanced scientific and technical discussions.
- Good scientific communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
Advantageous qualifications and experience
- Experience with agentic AI systems, LLM orchestration, tool use, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) or foundation-model integration, including multi-agent architectures, agent frameworks (e.g., LangGraph, LlamaIndex, AutoGen), Model Context Protocol (MCP) and vector databases.
- Experience applying AI to bioinformatics, genomics, public health or related scientific research.
- Familiarity with bioinformatics pipelines, genomic data analysis or scientific computing workflows, including workflow managers (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Apptainer).
- Experience with collaborative software development, version control, automated testing or open-source projects.
Key duties and responsibilities
1. Multi-agent AI system development and bioinformatics integration
Contribute to the design, development and integration of an open-source, multi-agent AI system for coordinating and executing pathogen-specific bioinformatics workflows, ensuring alignment with PHA4GE standards and suitability for intended applications.
2. AI validation and benchmarking
Develop and apply methods to evaluate the accuracy, reliability, robustness and reproducibility of AI-enabled systems, including identifying limitations and failure modes.
3. Scientific research and outputs
Conduct research into AI applications in bioinformatics and public health genomics, contributing to scientific publications, technical reports, software resources and other agreed project deliverables.
4. Technical collaboration, scientific engagement and reporting
Collaborate with international AI experts, bioinformaticians, software developers and public health researchers through relevant technical meetings and workshops; contribute to technical documentation, scientific guidance and knowledge-sharing activities; and provide regular progress updates on research activities, deliverables and challenges.
How to apply
To apply, please compile the following documents in a single PDF file and e-mail the file to [email protected] using the subject line “Application for Postdoctoral Researcher – Artificial Intelligence for Public Health Genomics (PHA4GE/2026-2)”
- A one-page covering letter
- A detailed Curriculum Vitae (3 pages maximum) that includes contact details of at least two contactable referees
Regrettably, incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Only successful applications will be informed within thirty (30) days after the closing date.
Closing date for applications: 30 November 2026
For any assistance or queries relating to finalising and submission of this application, please email us at [email protected]
About PHA4GE
To learn more about the Public Health Alliance for Genomic Epidemiology (PHA4GE), our work and global initiatives, please visit our website: https://pha4ge.org.
