2026 PhD Residency, Machine Learning for Waste Characterization (Materra)

InternshipMountain View, CA

About the team:

Materra is on a mission to radically reduce global waste and move to a true circular economy. The team has developed technology that identifies waste material at the molecular level—starting with plastics. Materra works with industry partners to improve the way recycling centers process plastics using AI and robotics, to make recycling more affordable and scalable.

About the role:

Materra is looking for a PhD Candidate for a Resident role to extend our platform to detect a new property.

In this role, you will be responsible for taking early stage investigations from an idea stage to deployed solutions. This is an extremely dynamic role and requires high cross-functional communication, organization, and planning. The ideal candidate is a self-starter and has a track record of effectively operating in a dynamic loosely structured environment (e.g. startup, new product within Google).

How you will make 10x impact:

  1. Design and implement robust Python-based systems to process and analyze waste datasets.
  2. Develop and deploy ML models from initial development into high-performance production environments.
  3. Explore and implement new sensing equipment and/or prototypes for data collection
  4. Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate your solutions.

This project aims to push the limits of science and modeling as we know them and to prove how ML can radically accelerate our understanding of the world

  • Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
  • Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
  • Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

Throughout your AI Residency you can expect:

  • To be embedded into one of our confidential or public X projects
  • To get paid competitively and receive benefits
  • To be a part of a lively community of AI and ML Residents
  • To attend tech-talks with AI leaders from across X

What you should have:

  • Currently enrolled in a PhD program in a STEM field (CS, Physics, Engineering, Math/Stats). Candidate must be in the back half of their PhD and have permission from their faculty advisor/PI to pursue a full-time residency.
  • Fluent in Python and familiar with at least one ML APIs (Tensorflow, Pytorch and/or JAX)
  • Experience with deep learning solutions involving at least one of: sensor fusion, depth estimation, segmentation and/or object detection.
  • Be willing and excited to learn new concepts and tactics across the full stack.

It’d be great if you also had these:

  • Experience with Linux and C++.
  • Experience writing and maintaining production-level code.
  • Experience with sensor integration.
  • Proven track record training ML models for applications where data is difficult to collect or generate.

Additional public information:

https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video

The US base salary range for this position is $109,000 - $157,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. 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 benefits.

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