AI research engineer

AI Research Engineer at Bending Spoons

Join to apply for the AI research engineer role at Bending Spoons

At Bending Spoons, we’re striving to build one of the all‑time great companies that serves a huge number of customers, where team members grow to their full potential, and where we operate at unparalleled levels of effectiveness and efficiency. We create value for shareholders at an extraordinary rate while adhering to high ethical standards.

Key responsibilities

• Power digital products with AI. Work with product teams to identify high‑impact opportunities where AI can transform the user experience for millions, and then build the solutions to make them happen. Drive the process from possibility to production, delivering code that’s robust, reproducible, and built for scale.

• Explore ways to push the boundaries of our AI capabilities. Stay at the bleeding edge of AI by investigating new models, techniques, and research. Learn fast across new domains, share findings with the team, and turn breakthrough ideas into production systems that deliver real‑world impact.

• Refine data foundations for exceptional results. Own the full data lifecycle—from acquisition and labeling to loading and management—to ensure our models are trained on clean, high‑quality datasets that power top‑performing systems.

• Own your impact, end‑to‑end. Set smart priorities, manage execution, and consistently deliver high‑quality results, even in ambiguous or fast‑changing environments. Balance technical depth with strong ownership, growing your skills while delivering meaningful contributions.

What we look for

• Reasoning ability. Given the necessary knowledge, you can solve complex problems. You think from first principles, structure your ideas sharply, resist biases, and attend to the details that matter.

• Drive. You’re extremely ambitious in everything you do, and your initiative, effort, and tenacity match the intensity of your ambition. You feel deeply responsible for your work and hold yourself to a high—and rising—bar.

• Team spirit. You give generously and without the expectation of receiving in return. You support the best idea, not your idea, and you’re reliable, honest, and transparent.

• Proficiency in English. You read, write, and speak proficiently in English.

What we offer

• Incredibly talented, entrepreneurial teams. You’ll work in small, result‑oriented, autonomous teams alongside some of the brightest people in your field.

• An exceptional opportunity for growth. We go to great lengths to hire individuals of outstanding potential—then we prioritize putting them in the ideal position to thrive. Spooners in their 20s lead products worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and if you’ve got what it takes, you’ll soon play an essential role in major projects.

• Competitive pay and access to equity in the company. Typical salaries range from £83,997 to £194,964 in London, and €63,965 to €143,330 elsewhere in Europe, depending on experience and impact. You can also receive equity at a discounted price.

• All. These. Benefits. Flexible hours, remote working, unlimited learning and training, top‑of‑the‑market health insurance, a rich relocation package, generous parental support, and a yearly retreat to a stunning location.

Commitment & contract

Permanent or fixed‑term. Full‑time or part‑time.

Location

Milan (Italy), London (UK), Madrid (Spain), Warsaw (Poland) or remote.

The selection process

If you pass our screening, we’ll ask you to take on a few tests designed to assess how you approach unfamiliar problems. They’re challenging and may take several hours to complete. If you’re successful with those, we’ll invite you to a series of interviews. We set the bar high and won’t extend an offer until we’re convinced we found the right candidate.

Bending Spoons is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer

We consider for employment any applicant and provide reasonable accommodations for an individual with disabilities—just let us know through this form.

Before you apply

If you’ve applied before but didn’t receive an offer, we recommend waiting at least one year before applying again. Bending Spoons is a demanding environment. We hold ourselves—and one another—to a high standard, requiring significant commitment. To ramp up quickly, we recommend spending your first few months working from our Milan office, then you’re welcome to work from our offices or remotely from approved countries.

Apply now

If the role speaks to you and you’re excited to give your best, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now—we can’t wait to meet you.