ML Research Scientist - PhD

Mercor; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercor is seeking world-class machine learning researchers for a high-priority pilot. The role focuses on frontier ML research with a bias toward algorithmic innovation rather than applied analytics, and rapid turnaround is essential.

The successful candidate will join a small, elite team, contribute to novel algorithms, and target top-tier conference publications while driving scientific discovery within Mercor's strategy.

Qualifications

• PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, AI, or a closely related field.
• Published at least one main conference paper at ICML, NeurIPS, or ICLR.
• Strong preference for candidates with 2+ publications at these venues.
• Demonstrated experience conducting original ML research.

Responsibilities

• Assemble and lead a small group of world-class ML researchers for an initial pilot.
• Drive frontier ML research and contribute to algorithmic innovations.
• Publish findings at top conferences and disseminate results quickly.
• Define research directions in alignment with Mercor's strategic goals.

Skills

PhD in ML

Researcher

Frontier ML

Education

PhD in ML/CS/AI

Job description

Overview

We're looking to rapidly assemble a small group of world-class machine learning researchers for an initial pilot. This is a high-priority engagement with an accelerated timeline, so both exceptional candidate quality and fast turnaround are critical. We're specifically seeking researchers with demonstrated contributions to frontier ML research, particularly those driving algorithmic innovation rather than applied analytics.

Candidate Requirements

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, AI, or a closely related field

• Published at least one main conference paper at ICML, NeurIPS, or ICLR

• Strong preference for candidates with 2+ publications at these venues

• Demonstrated experience conducting original ML research

Preferred Research Areas

• Reinforcement Learning (RL)

• Meta-Learning

• Recursive Self-Improvement

• AI for Science (e.g. weather forecasting, protein modeling, scientific discovery)

Timeline

Priority: Urgent

Expected Schedule

• Initial data/results: Monday / Tuesday 27th July

Success Criteria

Candidates should have a proven record of advancing state-of-the-art machine learning through publications at top-tier conferences and possess deep expertise in frontier ML research. Speed of sourcing is important, but quality should not be compromised.