AI Research Engineer

Are you a hands-on innovator with a passion for discovering how AI can solve real-world problems?

We Are

The Accenture Digital Experiences R&D Group works to advance the frontiers of human-machine interaction and human-centered computing. Our applied research explores ways that emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, ubiquitous computing, affective computing, neuro-sensing, and Augmented Reality can address important business problems and transform how people interact with technology across various facets of their lives. We divide our time across contributing directly to current client work, and to R&D to support future client offerings.

Some recent projects and new initiatives we are focused on:

• Enhancing human-AI collaboration and teaming by measuring human-AI interaction behaviors, understanding AI adoption barriers, and designing personalized interventions to improve quality of AI adoption for knowledge work.
• Combining agentic AI, affective computing, and applied neuroscience to provide creators with insight about how test customers are engaging with their products and content
• Creating novel AI-driven tools for collaborative creation and review of large document creation (e.g., for large proposals and regulatory processes)
• Connecting physical AI, spatial AI, and affective computing for frictionless Human-AI experiences

You Are

Accenture Labs seeks a well-rounded candidate who is an intellectually curious AI research engineer with strong technical skills to join our applied R&D group in San Francisco. We are looking for someone who is both deeply curious about the business impact of technology and eager to explore those possibilities hands-on. They thrive on rapidly learning new tools and concepts to bring groundbreaking ideas to life . They will prototype, investigate, and communicate ideas that sit at the frontier, while staying grounded in real enterprise problems and client realities.

The Work

Execute R&D Agenda and Further Business Priorities:

• Create rapid prototypes to test and illustrate Labs' business hypotheses about how AI can and emerging tech transform knowledge work, decision-making, and human-machine collaboration in enterprise contexts, working across design through development and testing.

• Support senior researchers in scoping, defining, executing, and communicating research initiatives.
• Support development of internal and external thought leadership, targeted for various audiences and in a variety of formats (blogs, white papers, videos, research conferences, etc.).

• Help generate unique intellectual property (e.g., patents, tools)
• Participate in client workshops and client-facing projects, applying our expertise to real-world client needs. Note that as an R&D group within a consulting company, the role involves a mix of future-facing exploration of emerging technologies and application of our capabilities within current client projects.

Be an Engineering Expert in one or more technical areas of expertise:

• AI development: working with the latest AI models, Agentic frameworks, and tools to test the technology's maturity and build new prototypes with AI stacks.
• Developing technical prototypes embodied in digital and hardware (robotic systems, AR/XR headsets, biosensing wearables, etc...) that explore, test, and communicate the ways that emerging technologies can transform various activities and realms of experience.
• A technical contributor across the organization in your area of expertise, both internally for Accenture and during client engagements
• Apply technical skills in a client-delivery team

Researchers in our lab have:

• A passion for rethinking how people interact with machines across a range of real-world complex challenges that matter to Accenture's clients and for devising creative approaches to address those challenges with emerging technologies
• A track record of technical innovation, prototyping systems that demonstrate the potential of new tools to transform the way we work and live
• Enthusiasm for applying their skills to both current client-facing work, and future-looking prototypes.
• Commitment to understanding the diverse and inclusive perspectives that shape the complex relationships between people and technologies.

Additionally, researchers at this level demonstrate potential to grow, to become researchers who can:

• Define and execute research projects within our group's overall agenda.
• Shape and build on ideas developed with business stakeholders and managers to produce high quality documents and presentations.
• Manage and execute projects that combine prototype development, qualitative and quantitative research, and thought leadership.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary ecosystem of researchers, engineers, consultants, academic partners, and business stakeholders.
• Participate in their research community by building relationships publishing about their work and building relationships with external researchers.
• Experience synthesizing insights across a range of disciplines, including hardware, software, social and behavioral science, and economics.

Travel may be required for this role. The amount of travel will vary from 0 to 100% depending on business need and client requirements.

Here's what you need

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent (minimum 12 years) work experience in Human-Computer/Human-AI/Human-Robot Interaction, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Design, Cognitive Science, EE, User Experience Research, or a related field. (If Associate's Degree, must have minimum 6 years work experience)
• Minimum of 2 years of experience conducting advanced R&D engineering related to AI, HCI, HRI, or Computational Design.
• 3 years of experience creating rapid prototypes that apply and test new ideas related to the interaction of emerging technologies and people's experiences.

Bonus points if you have

• MS with experience in Human-Computer/Human-AI/Human-Robot Interaction, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Design, Cognitive Science, EE, User Experience Research, or related field.
• Familiarity with building applications with hardware such as biosensing wearables, robotic systems, AR/XR devices, eye-tracking and the like
• Proficiency in software development principles and common programming languages (such as Python, JavaScript), deep learning frameworks (such as TensorFlow or PyTorch) and experience in system programming (e.g., ROS2, Shell scripting, etc.) is highly desirable
• Understanding MLLM and VLM architectures, prompt engineering techniques, and Agentic processing stacks
• Expertise with user-centered design practices and user experience research methodologies such as usability testing, interviews, focus groups, etc.
• Experience with data annotation or human-in-the-loop systems
• Familiarity with cloud computing environments (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure)
• Experience with code validation, testing, and debugging

Professional Skills Requirements

• Proven ability to create a project plan and execute against it
• Proven ability to work energetically within a high-performance team
• Proven ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment
• Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills
• Ability to embed in client-delivery teams as needed, and willingness to travel to do that if needed.

Compensation at Accenture varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, Accenture provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired as set forth below.
We anticipate this job posting will be posted until 08/10/2026.

Accenture offers a market competitive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, bonus opportunities, paid holidays, and paid time off. See more information on our benefits here:

U.S. Employee Benefits | Accenture

Role Location Annual Salary Range

California $70,350 to $196,000

Cleveland $59,100 to $156,800

Colorado $63,800 to $169,300

District of Columbia $68,000 to $180,300

Illinois $59,100 to $169,300

Maine $54,400 to $144,300

Maryland $63,800 to $169,300

Massachusetts $63,800 to $180,300

Minnesota $63,800 to $169,300

New York $66,300 to $196,000

New Jersey $68,000 to $196,000

Virginia $59,100 to $180,300

Washington $80,200 to $180,300

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About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services-creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 791,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world's leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. Our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities.
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