Research Scientist, Applied AI/ML, X

Software EngineeringMountain View, CA (HQ)

The Team: X’s central machine learning team is looking for Research Scientists motivated by a desire to make a difference in the world. You will apply your expertise to diverse X projects, tackling domain-specific problems with cutting-edge AI. As a Research Scientist at X, your work is to discover, invent, solve, and prototype. From devising experiments and building robust implementations to designing new algorithms, X’s Research Scientists work on applying artificial intelligence to critically important, often ambiguous, problems. Our team values individuals who can bridge the gap between innovative research and practical, impactful solutions.

How you will make 10x impact:

  • Lead and participate in cutting-edge research and application in artificial intelligence, with a strong focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP), Large Language Models (LLMs), and Transformer architectures.
  • Develop, implement, and deploy robust, scalable ML/AI solutions for real-world problems across multiple X projects and scientific domains.
  • Design and build hybrid AI models, potentially integrating LLMs with other tools and techniques (e.g., graph-based ML, reinforcement learning).
  • Provide research and engineering leadership on X early explorations: defining problem scope, identifying optimal AI/ML approaches, and evaluating their merits.
  • Guide data strategy and contribute to ML pipeline development and system evaluation.
  • Contribute to code reviews, establish best practices for ML engineering, and optimize code for performance and scalability.
  • Mentor and guide other team members, fostering a collaborative environment for brainstorming, advising, and knowledge sharing.
  • Act as X’s link to the broader research and academic community, as well as to Alphabet’s other research groups, staying abreast of and integrating the latest advancements.
  • Demonstrate adaptability by rapidly learning and applying AI/ML techniques to new and diverse problem areas as projects evolve.

What you should have:

  • PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical field.
  • Approximately 2-5 years of post-PhD experience (or equivalent industry experience if holding a Master's degree with exceptional expertise) in applying ML/AI techniques to complex problems.
  • Strong, hands-on experience with LLMs/Transformers, including their theoretical underpinnings and practical application in post-training (e.g., fine-tuning, RLHF, prompting, agent development).
  • Experience deploying backend LLM applications.
  • Proficiency in Python and deep experience with ML/Deep Learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, HuggingFace, LangChain).
  • Proven ability as a strong software engineer, capable of writing production-quality code, with experience in ML systems, and deploying AI models.
  • Familiarity with MLOps, including experiment tracking, model versioning, and continuous integration/continuous deployment for ML systems.
  • Strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively/cross-functionally.

It’d be great if you also had these:

  • Experience with the LLM pre-training process.
  • Experience with graph-based machine learning techniques.
  • Meaningful experience or a strong understanding of applying AI/ML in another scientific discipline such as biology, psychology, neuroscience, or a related field.
  • Demonstrable research experience, evidenced by contributions to projects, and ideally through publications in relevant ML/NLP venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP).
  • Industry experience in a startup or fast-paced R&D environment.
  • Experience mentoring and guiding junior researchers or engineers.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $166,000 - $258,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.

An Equal Opportunity Workplace

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at x-accommodation-request@x.team.

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