Lead Research Scientist: AI Theory & Computational Physics

Gramian Consulting; New Zealand; Remote; NZD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Gramian Consultancy is seeking a Principal / Research Leader to advance AI research on frontier models and agents. You will guide multi-step workflows, develop proofs, algorithms, simulations, and HPC workflows, and document limitations and future directions.

Exemplary research independence and a proven record of high-impact publications are essential, with excellent written English. This remote, worldwide role prioritizes rigorous scientific judgment and independent problem-solving.

Qualifications

• Approximately 7–10+ years of active research experience in computer science, mathematical physics, computational physics, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong record of scholarly contributions, including publications in leading conferences, journals, or other recognized research venues.
• Deep hands-on experience with computational research methods, such as numerical analysis, simulation, algorithm implementation, or high-performance computing.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate technical claims rigorously, verify results, and identify gaps in mathematical or computational reasoning.
• Strong familiarity with the research literature and established results in your field.
• Excellent analytical, technical writing, and research communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, assess ambiguous problems, and communicate findings clearly.

Responsibilities

• Identify and formulate foundational open problems, theoretical bounds, and computational challenges where progress can be rigorously demonstrated.
• Guide AI models and agents through complex, multi-step research workflows involving mathematical proofs, algorithm development, numerical experiments, and high-performance simulations.
• Validate research results using proof verification, computational reproduction, formal methods, and other rigorous evaluation techniques.
• Assess the novelty, correctness, and scientific significance of research outputs against established findings and current literature.
• Prepare concise research memos documenting attempted solutions, partial progress, model limitations, and recurring reasoning failures.
• Recommend promising research directions, subfields, and open problems suitable for investigation using advanced AI models and computational tools.
• Apply critical judgment when reviewing technical work beyond your immediate research specialization.
• Help establish evaluation standards that distinguish genuine scientific progress from plausible but unsupported results.

Skills

Research experience

Numerical analysis

High-performance computing

Technical writing

Independent work

Job description

Gramian Consultancy is seeking a Principal / Research Leader to advance AI research on frontier models and agents. You will guide multi-step workflows, develop proofs, algorithms, simulations, and HPC workflows, and document limitations and future directions.

Exemplary research independence and a proven record of high-impact publications are essential, with excellent written English. This remote, worldwide role prioritizes rigorous scientific judgment and independent problem-solving.