Head of Research (AI / ML) [32814] (San Francisco)

Base pay range

$400,000.00/yr - $400,000.00/yr

About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Research to lead and scale a world‑class AI research organization focused on advancing the state of the art in machine learning, large language models, and applied AI systems. This role is both strategic and hands‑on , responsible for defining long‑term research vision while actively contributing to breakthrough innovations that directly impact product and business outcomes.

As Head of Research , you will build, mentor, and manage a high‑caliber team of researchers and research engineers, partner closely with executive leadership, and translate cutting‑edge research into scalable, real‑world systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the research vision and roadmap , aligned with company strategy and long‑term goals
• Lead and grow a team of AI Researchers, Applied Scientists, and Research Engineers
• Drive innovation across areas such as:
• Reasoning and planning systems
• Representation learning
• Robustness, safety, and evaluation
• Multimodal and agent‑based systems
• Balance long‑horizon exploratory research with near‑term applied research that powers products
• Ensure research excellence through strong scientific rigor, reproducibility, and evaluation standards
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Leadership to transition research into production
• Represent the company externally through publications, conferences, and industry engagement
• Establish best practices for research processes, tooling, and infrastructure
• Mentor senior researchers and develop future research leaders

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a closely related field (or equivalent research experience)
• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML research, with at least several years in a research leadership role
• Proven track record of high‑impact research contributions (top‑tier conferences, journals, or widely adopted systems)
• Deep expertise in modern ML techniques, especially LLMs, deep learning, and foundation models
• Experience leading and scaling research teams in industry or advanced research labs
• Strong understanding of the tradeoffs between research innovation and production constraints
• Ability to communicate complex technical ideas clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading research at a top AI lab, FAANG company, or well‑known AI startup
• Publications at leading venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP)
• Experience with model training at scale, including distributed systems and ML infrastructure
• Background in deploying research models into real‑world products
• Prior experience influencing company‑level technical strategy

What We Offer

• Base salary up to $400,000 , plus competitive equity
• Opportunity to shape the future direction of cutting‑edge AI research
• Access to significant compute and research resources
• Collaboration with elite engineers, researchers, and product leaders
• A culture that values deep thinking, experimentation, and long‑term impact

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Research and Engineering

Industries

• Technology, Information and Internet