Senior Research Program Lead

About The Role

We are a vibrant and intensely mission-driven team in San Francisco, comprising members from MIT, Harvard Medical School, Roche, ETH, and Dana-Farber.

We value speed and rigor, coupled with excitement, drive, and a strong work ethic. In an early-stage environment, we value people who can bring clarity to open-ended problems, take ownership of the next steps, and follow through with energy.

Capable Labs is a place for ambitious, high-integrity people who want to become dramatically better. You will be surrounded by people who care intensely about the work, get close feedback from the people making scientific and company-defining decisions, and have room to own increasingly important problems.

We believe excellent work should be met with meaningful reward, ownership, and trust. Responsibility is earned through contribution, not title alone: anyone who demonstrates the judgment, rigor, and follow-through to move important work forward can earn meaningful scope.

What You’ll Do

• Lead therapeutic research programs from conceptualization through early validation in areas such as contraception, stress resilience, cognition, exercise mimetics, recovery, and sleep.
• Develop rigorous, scientifically grounded research proposals that address crucial questions in human health and capability.
• Convert research concepts into executable plans by identifying targets, mechanisms, modalities, assay strategies, biomarkers, and establishing clear progression criteria, budgets, and timelines.
• Select optimal experimental modalities including RNA, small molecules, peptides, polymers, or biologics-related platforms.
• Execute all stages of the research lifecycle: hypothesis development, literature review, experimental design and execution, data analysis, and program evaluation, collaborating closely with scientific colleagues.
• Assemble and manage interdisciplinary teams, identify advisors and collaborators, source models and equipment, and oversee research operations.

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• Maintain direct involvement with experimental data and program strategy. Capable Labs provides significant funding for projects showing strong foundational evidence.
  
  

Who You Are

• You have a strong academic record and have led or significantly contributed to drug discovery or therapeutic programs progressing towards clinical application.
• You have independently designed and executed scientific research, demonstrating initiative and yielding outcomes such as publications, patents, or funded grants.
• Your research interests span impactful biomedical topics including sleep, cognition, reproductive health, disease resistance, recovery, aging, and the biological determinants of health.
• You demonstrate sound scientific judgment, critically evaluate literature and mechanisms, and define actionable research paths with precision.
• You are proactive, exacting, analytical, and maintain high scientific standards aligned with academic rigor while advancing projects efficiently and decisively.
  
  

Pay & Benefits

• $180,000-$340,000 salary, plus equity options with an implied current value of approximately $50,000-$200,000 before exercise cost, taxes, dilution, and liquidity risk.
• Compensation will depend on the skills, experience, and scope of impact you bring. If your background, experience, or compensation needs fall outside this range, we are still open to a conversation based on the scope and impact you could bring.
• $500+ monthly wellness budget for training, supplements, coaching, recovery, or other tools that help you perform at your best.
• Healthcare: We offer a broad range of medical, dental, and vision coverage options, with Capable covering 100% of the base policy.
• You will also have access to HSA, FSA, and 401K plans.
• Healthy dinners with the team are provided daily.
• We support visa sponsorship where appropriate, including O-1, H-1B, J-1, TN, and other employment-based pathways. Our team is already international, with members from Canada, Pakistan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, India, and the United States.
  
  

Application Process

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Our process is fast, transparent, and personal. We care about getting to know the person behind the application.

• Initial application
• First phone screen
• Second phone screen
• In-person work trial in San Francisco: designed to give both sides a realistic sense of working together. Get to know the founding team!
  
  

Apply Today

Curious but not sure? Apply anyway. It takes 5 minutes, and you do not need to be actively job searching to start a conversation.

Some of the best people do not map perfectly to a job description. If this sounds like a place where you could do important work, we would like to hear from you.

And if someone exceptional comes to mind, send them our way here. We read every referral carefully, and if your referral joins Capable, we’ll send you a thank-you bonus.

Compensation Range: $180K - $340K