AI Scientist

Technology Resource Management; United States; Remote; USD 170,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

TRM Labs is seeking an AI Scientist to join our new AI Research team. You will train models on blockchain data, develop autonomous AI agents, and push research into production to power our intelligence platforms.

Fully remote and globally distributed, with overlap hours 7am–12pm PST. The role emphasizes ownership, rapid iteration, and close collaboration with experts in law enforcement, data science, and engineering.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree or equivalent research experience is a plus.
• Strong ML foundations with years of applied ML/research experience.
• Experience with distributed data systems and production ML code.
• Excellent written and spoken English; ability to communicate in a remote environment.

Responsibilities

• Train ML models on blockchain data, including foundation models, and take them from research to production.
• Build AI agents (and fine-tune LLMs where it helps) to generate intelligence, not just hand-built heuristics.
• Find new ways to generate net new intelligence across Network/On-chain/Protocol layers.
• Ship production-quality code: ML models, agents and data pipelines with rigorous evaluation.
• Take on ambitious bets that raise the ceiling of intelligence and drive measurable outcomes.

Skills

Quantitative background

Machine learning foundations

Problem-solving mindset

Python

SQL

AI-assisted coding tools

Distributed data systems

Async communication

English communication

LLMs / AI agents

Blockchain / crypto experience

Education

Advanced degree or equivalent research experience

Tools

Cursor

Claude Code

Spark

BigQuery

Airflow

Job description

AI Scientist

Location

United States

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Remote

Department

• R&D
• Blockchain Intelligence
• Data Science

Overview

Build a Safer World.

TRM Labs provides AI-powered intelligence solutions that help public and private sector agencies investigate and disrupt crime. TRM's platforms enable investigators to trace illicit activity, build cases, and construct operating pictures of threat networks. Leading agencies and businesses worldwide rely on TRM to make the world safer and more secure.

TRM Labs provides AI-powered intelligence solutions, including our AI investigations platform Ardence, that help public and private sector agencies investigate and disrupt crime and global security threats. At TRM, you'll join a mission-driven, fast-paced team made up of experts in law enforcement, data science, engineering, and financial intelligence, tackling complex global challenges daily.

As an AI Scientist on our new AI Research team, you will build the models and agents behind the intelligence that powers TRM's products. Part of that is training foundation models on blockchain data, one of our most differentiated data layers, and part is building autonomous AI agents that generate intelligence at a scale hand‑built heuristics cannot reach. You'll work on Intel Cortex and other ambitious, cross‑cutting ideas, with a broad view across intelligence rather than a single risk category. This is pioneering work that does not exist elsewhere in our industry, and it directly drives customer outcomes, from seizing illicit funds to disrupting criminal networks.

The impact you'll have here:

• Train ML models on blockchain data, including foundation models, and take them from research to production.
• Build AI agents (and fine‑tune LLMs where it helps) so the intelligence underneath TRM's products is generated by models and agents, not only hand‑built heuristics.
• Find new ways to generate net new intelligence, using patterns across all intelligence layers (Network / On‑chain / Protocol) that competitors can't replicate.
• Ship production‑quality code: ML models, agents and data pipelines, with rigorous evaluation and scalable architecture.
• Take on ambitious, high‑impact bets that raise the ceiling of what our intelligence can do, and drive measurable outcomes: billions in illicit funds traced, seized, or prevented.

What we’re looking for:

• Quantitative background (Computer Science, Statistics, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics). Advanced degree or equivalent research experience is a plus.
• Strong machine learning foundations, built over years of applied ML and/or research (modeling, evaluation, experimentation). You don't need to have trained a foundation model or built agents before, but you need the fundamentals to do it.
• Strong problem‑solving mindset: gets to the root cause, leverages creativity, and thrives in ambiguity with a hypothesis‑driven, iterative approach.
• 5+ years of hands‑on machine learning experience, with strong Python, SQL, and AI‑assisted coding tools (Cursor, Claude Code).
• Experience with distributed data systems (Spark, BigQuery, Airflow) and shipping production ML code.
• Strong async communication (Loom, Slack, Notion), strong technical communication in English, and ability to own work independently in a remote environment.
• Bonus: experience with LLMs, AI agents or fine‑tuning; domain curiosity or prior work in blockchain, crypto, fraud, money laundering or financial crime.

About the Team:

AI Research is a new team focused on ambitious, cross‑cutting ideas in attribution and intelligence.

Fully remote and globally distributed. Most overlap occurs 7am–12pm PST for meetings and collaboration.

All team members must have at least 4‑hour overlap with PST business hours.

You'll work in partnership with the category pods, whose expert‑built heuristics provide the high‑confidence labels our models learn from.

Learn about TRM Speed in this position:

• Rapid Customer Impact. Deliver last‑minute, high‑stakes projects for key customers — turning around attribution insights in days, not weeks.
• MVP to Production. Build complex algorithms with tight timeframes (1–2 sprints for MVP) and iterate based on real customer feedback.
• Parallel Execution. Juggle multiple priorities across categories and stakeholders while maintaining quality and speed.

Interviewing with TRM

Recruiter Intro: Qualifications, motivations, and alignment with the role.

Hiring Manager: Deep dive into your relevant experience, skills, and impact.

First Round: 1–2 interviews focused on the skills most critical to the role.

Final Round: Hands‑on case study. This is usually a panel‑style session where we go deeper into your craft, problem‑solving, and alignment with TRM.

References: Former colleagues who can provide insight into your work and impact.

Offer: Congrats! Your recruiter will present the offer and compensation details.

Welcome to TRM: We're excited to build a safer world with you!

Your recruiter will share your specific interview plan and preparation guidance along the way.

AI Fluency at TRM

AI fluency is a baseline expectation at TRM.

We believe AI meaningfully changes how top performers operate. We expect every team member to use AI to accelerate and reimagine their craft, not just automate surface tasks.

At TRM, AI fluency means you are among the top 10 percent of operators in your function in how you apply AI to:

• Accelerate repeatable workflows
• Structure and solve problems
• Improve output quality
• Increase speed and leverage

You will be evaluated on applied AI fluency during the interview process.

Life at TRM

We are building a safer world. That promise shows up in how we work every day.

TRM moves FAST. We are a high‑velocity, high‑ownership team that expects clarity, follow‑through, and impact. People who thrive here are energized by hard problems, experimentation, and continuous feedback. If something takes months elsewhere, it will ship here in days.

Our work sits at the intersection of AI, national security, and fighting crime. The problems are complex, the stakes are real, and the environment evolves quickly. The pace and intensity of the work reflect the importance of the mission. As a result, the way we operate requires a high level of ownership, adaptability, collaboration, and creative problem‑solving.

At TRM, you should expect:

• Priorities and targets to change quickly
• Operating with a high degree of ambiguity
• A high level of personal ownership and accountability
• Close collaboration across teams and functions
• Frequent, high‑touch communication
• Creative problem‑solving and out‑of‑the‑box thinking
• A pace that rewards urgency, adaptability, and outcomes

This environment is energizing for people who enjoy building, solving hard problems, and making progress in situations that are not always fully defined. It also requires thriving in ambiguity, adjusting course as new information emerges, and maintaining focus and positivity in a fast‑moving and intense environment.

We also recognize that this style of operating is not for everyone. If you are primarily optimizing for predictability or a consistently balanced workload, we encourage you to use the interview process to pressure‑test whether this environment is truly the right fit. We want teammates who thrive here, not just survive here.