About Arc Institute

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

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

Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action:

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 the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes.

More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding.

About the position

Arc Institute operates advanced wet-lab and research facilities where uptime directly protects irreplaceable science: cell lines, samples, and instruments representing years of work. We're hiring a hands-on Facilities Building Engineer to own the reliability of our building systems and lab-critical environments.

This is a working engineer role. You will diagnose and fix problems yourself, and you’ll know when a job calls for a specialist. You will direct our vendor and contract-support partners to get it done right, on time, and on budget. You'll also run facility projects end-to-end and serve as the calm, service-oriented point of contact for the researchers who depend on the building.

About you

You catch problems early, before they turn into a researcher’s bad day. You’re just as comfortable running a diagnostic yourself as you are getting a vendor on the phone to handle something that’s not yours to touch. You want to know why a system works the way it does, not just how to patch it.
You like being around science, even though you’re not a scientist. You get that a freezer failure here isn’t an inconvenience; it’s years of someone’s work. That weight doesn’t stress you out. It’s part of what makes the job worth doing well.
You don’t need a lot of ramp-up time or close supervision to take ownership. You’re comfortable being the primary engineer onsite, you set your own priorities, and you integrate with the team from day one.
You’re straightforward and easy to track down. You build trust through consistent follow-through.

In this position you will

Serve as the primary onsite contact for facilities service requests; deliver responsive, professional service to researchers and staff.
Operate and maintain lab HVAC systems serving wet labs — air-change rates, pressure cascades/room differentials, VAV/reheat, fume-hood and BSC exhaust — and respond to alarms before they threaten research.
Support lab utilities: RO/DI and lab-water loops, lab gases (CO₂, N₂, compressed air, vacuum), acid-neutralization systems, eyewash/safety-shower testing.
Coordinate biosafety-adjacent equipment maintenance (fume-hood face-velocity checks, BSC recertification) with EH&S (Environmental Health & Safety).
Self-perform routine multi-trade work (HVAC/mechanical troubleshooting, plumbing, electrical, and general building repairs) within your qualifications and licensing
Interpret and adjust the building automation system (e.g., Alerton, Automated Logic, Johnson Controls, Siemens)
Exercise sound judgment on when to self-perform vs. engage a specialist
Maintain standby-power readiness: generator, ATS, and UPS testing supporting freezers and critical loads.
Run small-to-mid facility projects (renovations, equipment installs, system upgrades): scope, budget, contractor coordination, and closeout.