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Head of Research (AI / ML) [32814]

$400k

Stealth AI Startup

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
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Vacancy posted 1 day ago
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