Director, Machine Learning (Applied AI Research)

Unity; Singapore; On-site; SGD 292,000 - 437,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Stock ownership program

Generous vacation

Job summary

Unity, the world’s leading game engine, seeks a Director of Machine Learning in Singapore to lead an applied AI research team delivering models and systems used by millions of creators.

You will shape the research roadmap, mentor researchers, and move projects to production while collaborating with Unity’s global AI teams and staying at the forefront of ML advances.

Qualifications

• PhD in CS/ML or related field preferred.
• Proven record leading applied ML/AI research teams.
• Experience shipping ML models to production at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow an applied AI research team in Singapore.
• Set technical direction and roadmap for research.
• Move research from prototype to production, shipping models and systems.
• Partner with product, engineering, and research teams across Unity's global AI organization.
• Establish strong practices for experimentation, evaluation, and model quality.
• Stay ahead of advances in ML and AI and bring ideas into Unity's work.
• Represent Unity's applied research internally and in the broader AI community.

Skills

Applied ML leadership

Production ML scaling

Deep learning & LLMs

PyTorch/JAX

Technical strategy

Communication

Cross-timezone collaboration

Education

PhD in CS/ML or related field

Publications in ML venues

AI for games/3D/creatives

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

The opportunity

AI is changing how games are made and played, and Unity is building the intelligence behind that shift. Our Gaming AI organization turns applied research into products used by millions of creators around the world. We want you to join us as Director, Machine Learning, leading an applied AI research team in Singapore. You will turn groundbreaking research into models and systems that ship, build and grow a team of researchers and engineers, and help shape how Unity uses AI across its platform. If you are a forward thinker who loves to build, learn, and see research reach real users, this is your opportunity.

What you'll be doing

• Lead and grow an applied AI research team of ML researchers and engineers in Singapore, including hiring, mentoring, and developing the team
• Set the technical direction and roadmap for your team's research, in partnership with Gaming AI leadership
• Move research from prototype to production, shipping models and systems that create real value for Unity products and creators
• Partner with product, engineering, and research teams across Unity's global AI organization to align research with business priorities
• Establish strong practices for experimentation, evaluation, and model quality
• Stay ahead of advances in machine learning and AI, and bring the most promising ideas into Unity's work
• Represent Unity's applied research internally and in the broader AI community

What we're looking for

• Track record of leading applied ML or AI research teams, including managing researchers and engineers
• Experience taking ML models from research into production at scale
• Deep expertise in modern machine learning, including deep learning and large language or multimodal models
• Hands-on experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX
• Experience setting technical strategy and roadmaps for a research or engineering team
• Effective written and verbal communication, including explaining complex technical work to non-technical leaders
• Experience working with distributed, multi-functional teams across time zones

You might also have

• A PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Publications at top venues such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, or CVPR
• Experience applying AI to games, 3D content, or creative tools

Base Salary Range: SGD 291,500 - SGD 437,300 Gross

This range reflects the anticipated base salary for this position. Beyond base salary, this role may be eligible for equity awards and participation in our company incentive plans (such as annual discretionary bonuses or sales commissions). The final offer amount will depend on several factors, including geographic location and the candidate’s relevant experience, professional background, and skill set.

Benefits

At Unity, we want our team members to thrive. We offer a wide range of benefits designed to support well-being and work-life balance.

Please note: Benefits eligibility, specific offerings, and coverage vary based on the country and employment status.

While specific benefits vary, here are some of the ways we strive to take care of our eligible team members globally: Comprehensive health, life, and disability insurance | Commute subsidy | Employee stock ownership | Competitive retirement/pension plans | Generous vacation and personal days | Support for new parents through leave and family-care programs | Office food snacks | Mental Health and Wellbeing programs and support | Employee Resource Groups | Global Employee Assistance Program | Training and development programs | Volunteering and donation matching program

Life at Unity

Unity [NYSE: U] is the world’s leading game engine, powering play for more than 3 billion consumers each month. The top mobile games in the world, the most played PC indie titles, the most innovative console games, and virtually all of the top XR and Web Games are developed, deployed, and grown in Unity. Unity also enables teams across industries like automotive, manufacturing, and healthcare to design, simulate, and collaborate in 3D — closing the gap between ideas and reality. For more information, please visit www.unity.com .

Unity is a proud equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment and celebrate our employees across age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. Our differences are strengths that enable us to support the growing and evolving needs of our customers, partners, and collaborators. If you have a disability that means there are preparations or accommodations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please fill out this form to let us know.

This position requires the incumbent to have a sufficient knowledge of English to have professional verbal and written exchanges in this language since the performance of the duties related to this position requires frequent and regular communication with colleagues and partners located worldwide and whose common language is English. This posting is intended to fill an existing vacancy, and we are committed to providing applicants with updates throughout the hiring process in accordance with applicable law.

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