Senior ML Research Scientist

LawZero; Montreal (administrative region); On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Vacation 20 days/year

Retirement contribution 4%

Flexible benefits

Office in Little Italy / Mile-Ex

Job summary

LawZero in Montreal is seeking an experienced deep learning researcher to design and implement frontier-model based solutions for AI safety. You will collaborate with mathematicians and researchers to translate theory into practical ML algorithms and tailor models to real-world settings.

The role emphasizes training and fine-tuning frontier models, distributed computing, and strong communication within a multidisciplinary team. A path toward impactful, globally relevant research exists here.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Computer Science or Mathematics; PhD preferred but not required if exceptional abilities.
• 5+ years of deep learning research experience, especially with frontier models.
• Experience training, adapting, and fine-tuning frontier models across complex scenarios.
• Proficiency with ML libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX; distributed computing in mind.
• Strong Python development skills and experience with version control and experiment tracking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to collaborate across disciplines.
• Ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

Responsibilities

• Propose, design, and implement novel ML models tailored to AI safety problems.
• Collaborate with mathematicians and research scientists to integrate theory into practical ML algorithms.
• Adapt and fine-tune frontier models for specific settings.
• Design experimental protocols and evaluation frameworks for robust results.
• Analyze experimental data to guide future research questions.
• Benchmark and optimize model performance and efficiency with ML engineers.
• Communicate findings and coordinate with researchers and engineers.

Skills

Deep learning research

Frontier models

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

Distributed computing

Version control

Communication

Collaboration

Education

PhD preferred

Tools

Git

Experiment management tools

Job description

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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