The Rockefeller Foundation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Group Leader, Immunology

New York, NY (Hybrid)

Biohub is the first large-scale initiative bringing frontier AI models, massive compute, and frontier experimental capabilities under one roof. We're building a general-purpose system to accelerate scientific discovery, integrating frontier AI models, biological foundation models, and lab capabilities, with the ultimate goal of curing disease. Our technology powers scientists around the world, translating AI capabilities into tools that accelerate research everywhere.

The Team

Our immune cell reprogramming team integrates foundational research on immunology and disease biology with AI-modeling to develop engineered cells that harness our own immune system to detect and treat early signs of age-related diseases, like cancer, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. These technologies will enable precise, context-dependent therapeutic responses only when and where it is needed. You can learn more about our work here.

Our work brings together three powerhouse universities - Columbia University, The Rockefeller University, and Yale University - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine.

Our vision

• Pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• Enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• Facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

We are a team of passionate individuals powered by technology, guided by scientific research, and driven by collaboration, working toward a mission to cure or prevent all disease.

The Opportunity

The Biohub invites exceptional scientists to apply for a Group Leader (Principal Investigator-equivalent) position. We seek researchers who pursue fundamental questions in immunology, including—though not limited to—experts in systems immunology, immune engineering, and functional or molecular immunology, with a particular emphasis on cellular subtypes associated with immune regulation in cancer and/or neuroinflammation. Ideal candidates will aim to uncover the core principles and dynamic behaviors that govern immune system function in both health and disease. We especially welcome applicants who integrate quantitative, high-throughput, and systems approaches to address broad immunological questions and principles, rather than those focused primarily on tool or method development. The overarching mission is to reveal the fundamental principles governing the function and development of the human immune system, including via regulatory, signaling, and cell-cell molecular interaction network analysis. The goal will be to identify mechanisms that can help reprogram the immune system's function to monitor organ specific health conditions, modulate cell trafficking, and restore normal immune function in human disease conditions.

The Biohub in New York fosters a vibrant environment where fundamental discovery and cross-disciplinary collaboration are encouraged. We particularly welcome scientists eager to collaborate across biology, computation, and engineering to generate transformative insights into immune biology. The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative environment of both intramural investigators at the Biohub network and extramural investigators at our partner institutes, Columbia University, Yale University and The Rockefeller University. The successful candidate will have access to world-class resources within the Biohub and across partner campuses. Candidates are expected to establish an independent, creative and innovative research program, as well as demonstrate a commitment to collaboration. The Biohub will offer a competitive package with full funding for research personnel, lab operational costs, and essential equipment.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent degree in immunology or a related field, and have a strong foundation in quantitative or mechanistic approaches to biological research. Applicants should have a record of at least five years of postdoctoral or equivalent research experience demonstrating creativity, independence, and impactful contributions in research aligned with the themes described above.

Applicants are required to provide a cover letter and a 3-page research statement.

What You'll Do

• Lead an innovative, rigorous, and highly collaborative research program aligned with the mission of Biohub, focused on advancing fundamental understanding of the immune system.
• Develop a transformative research vision and provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members.
• Play a key role in our collaborative efforts to engineer immune cells to detect, prevent, and cure organ-specific diseased states by leveraging your expertise in immunology.
• Engage with colleagues throughout the Biohub to uphold our values of scholarly excellence, innovation, open communication, collaboration, partnership, and opportunity.
• Communicate progress and results with colleagues and the leadership team.
• Publish and disseminate impactful findings and the products of your research as preprints (medRxiv, bioRxiv) and/or software repositories (e.g., GitHub).
• Collaborate with the Biohub team to patent and license technologies resulting from your research.

What You'll Bring

• PhD or MD or equivalent degree in immunology or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years post-doctoral experience with a strong foundation in immunology.
• An innovative research plan aimed at revealing the fundamental principles that govern the immune system.
• Demonstrated publication track record in top tier journals on topics related to the scientific goals of this position.
• Demonstrated leadership, track record of innovation, and ability to work collaboratively.
• Supervisory or mentoring experience is a plus but not required for early-career applicants, but expected for more senior candidates.
• Demonstrating a creative vision to establish a highly innovative and impactful research program.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to open science and highly aligned with the mission and values of Biohub.

Compensation

The New York City, NY base pay range for a new hire in this role is $153,000.00 - $185,000.00. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process.

This position may be eligible to participate in Biohub's discretionary annual performance bonus program. Bonus eligibility and targets are determined in accordance with Biohub's total rewards philosophy and may vary by role.

Better Together

As we grow, we're excited to strengthen in-person connections and cultivate a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This role is a hybrid position requiring you to be onsite for at least 60% of the working month, approximately 3 days a week, with specific in-office days determined by the team's manager. The exact schedule will be at the hiring manager's discretion and communicated during the interview process.

Benefits for the Whole You

We're thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible.

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice.
• Funding for select family-forming benefits.
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you're interested in a role but your previous experience doesn't perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

Interviews will begin starting April 15th 2026 and will continue until the position has been filled.

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