Senior ML Research Scientist

LoiZéro; Montreal; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

20 days vacation

4% retirement contribution

Flexible benefits

Collaborative environment

Offices in Mile-Ex/Little Italy,Montre

Job summary

LawZero in Montreal seeks a Senior Machine Learning Research Scientist to design and implement novel ML models addressing advanced AI safety challenges. You will collaborate with mathematicians and researchers to integrate theoretical advancements into practical algorithms and adapt frontier models for real-world contexts.

The role requires 5+ years in deep learning research with frontier models, strong Python development, and proficiency in PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX within distributed

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Mathematics).
• 5+ years of experience in deep learning research with frontier models.
• Experience training/adapting frontier models across transfer learning/domain adaptation/meta learning.
• Proficiency with ML libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX in distributed environments.
• Strong Python development, version control, and experiment management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to collaborate across disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Propose, design, and implement novel ML models for AI safety problems.
• Collaborate with mathematicians and researchers to integrate theory into practical ML methods.
• Adapt frontier models for specific settings and evaluate robustness.
• Design experimental protocols and evaluation frameworks for robust, reproducible results.
• Benchmark and optimize model performance with ML engineers for efficient resource use.
• Communicate findings and align work with researchers and engineers.

Skills

team collaboration

self-motivated

strong communication

Python software development

distributed computing

Education

Advanced degree in CS/Math

PhD preferred

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Machine Learning (ML) Research Scientist to join our team working on a novel AI safety agenda. In this role, you will design and implement innovative ML models aimed at solving advanced AI safety problems.

Key responsibilities

• Propose, design, and implement novel ML models tailored to solve complex AI safety problems.
• Collaborate with mathematicians and other specialized research scientists to integrate theoretical advancements into practical ML algorithms and models.
• Adapt and fine-tune existing frontier models to enhance their applicability to specific settings.
• Design and implement experimental protocols and evaluation frameworks to validate hypotheses and ensure robust and reproducible results, including at the scale and complexity of frontier models.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data in order to steer future research questions and objectives.
• Benchmark and optimize model performance and efficiency along with ML engineers to ensure the optimal usage of computing resources over the course of long experiments.
• Communicate findings and synchronize work with other researchers and engineers.

Required skills and qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Mathematics). A PhD is preferred but not required if the candidate demonstrates exceptional abilities.
• 5+ years of experience in deep learning research projects, in particular with frontier models.
• Proven experience in the training, adaptation, and/or fine-tuning of frontier models across a variety of complex scenarios that involve, for example, transfer learning, domain adaptation, or meta learning.
• Expertise in the integration and use of ML libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX for the development, training, and evaluation of ML models, ideally in distributed computing environments.
• Strong experience in Python software development, in the use of version control, collaboration tools, and experiment management and tracking tools.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to exchange ideas with researchers across different disciplines.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment while also being self-motivated and independent.

Preferred skills and qualifications

• Experience analyzing the behavior of frontier models in safety-critical contexts.
• Experience in the design and development of model alignment strategies or benchmarks.
• Experience with natural language processing or probabilistic graphical models.
• A track record of contributing to high-quality research projects in deep learning.

What we offer

• The opportunity to contribute to a unique mission with a major impact.
• Comprehensive health benefits.
• A minimum of 20 days vacation per year upon start.
• A minimum retirement savings employer contribution of 4%.
• Generous flexible benefits designed to contribute to your well-being.
• A team of passionate experts in their field.
• A collaborative and inclusive work environment with offices in the heart of Little Italy, in the trendy Mile-Ex district, close to public transportation.

About LawZero

LawZero is a non-profit organization committed to advancing research and creating technical solutions that enable safe-by-design AI systems. Its scientific direction is based on new research and methods proposed by Professor Yoshua Bengio, the most cited AI researcher in the world. Based in Montreal, LawZero’s research aims to build non-agentic AI that learns primarily to understand the world rather than to act in it, giving truthful answers to questions based on transparent and externalized probabilistic reasoning. Such AI systems could be used to accelerate scientific discovery, to provide oversight for agentic AI systems, and to advance the understanding of AI risks and how to avoid them. LawZero believes that AI should be cultivated as a global public good—developed and used safely towards human flourishing. For more information, visit www.lawzero.org

You belong here

At LawZero, diversity is important to us. We value a work environment that is fair, open and respectful of differences. We welcome applications from highly qualified individuals interested in working towards our mission in a respectful, inclusive and collaborative setting.

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