Chief of Staff

About Arc Institute

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, California. The organization works to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases, partnering with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.

Unlike academia, Arc scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. The organization's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology to tackle problems neither could solve alone.

Arc's two Institute Initiatives demonstrate this integrated model:

• Virtual Cell Initiative: Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets, accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative: Mapping genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates addressing root causes.

Over 300 team members work at the Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding.

About the Role

The Chief of Staff serves as a scientific and strategic partner, proxy, and "shared brain" to the Institute's Executive Director and Core Investigator. This full-time, technical position requires someone who can engage substantively with advanced science—from CRISPR-based transcriptome engineering and functional genomics to computational modeling and disease biology—and translate that engagement into sharp decision-making, program execution, and cross-disciplinary coordination.

Key responsibilities include:

• Pressure-test experimental design and interpretation of scientific projects
• Distill complex inputs into clear decision frameworks and meeting agendas
• Scope and foster cross-lab collaboration
• Prepare scientifically rigorous external deliverables
• Optimize the Executive Director's schedule to protect time for deep work
• Own operating rhythm and drive technical initiatives to completion
• Connect the right people, data, and resources to unblock science

Essential qualities: Scientific judgment, discretion, follow-through, and ability to handle confidential scientific and organizational information with trust and autonomy.