Applied Scientist II

ARAG Legal Insurance; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 155,000 - 204,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental plan

Vision plan

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Wellness reimbursement

Mental health benefits

Experience bonus

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Qualtrics seeks an Applied Scientist II to advance Core AI ML R&D, building scalable GenAI applications and cutting-edge predictive models. You will solve hard customer problems with AI, collaborate cross-functionally, and own end‑to‑end model quality in a fast-growing environment.

The role emphasizes research, model development, and collaboration across engineering, product management, and data science teams, with a hybrid work model and strong growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's and Ph.D. in Computer Science or related fields
• Strong understanding of machine learning fundamentals and tool ecosystem
• 3+ years of combined academic and industrial research in ML, NLP, information retrieval, deep learning or related field
• Experience with Agentic AI systems, including design, development, and evaluation of agent performance
• Deep learning implementation expertise (TensorFlow, PyTorch etc)
• Excellent command of Python
• Deep understanding of ML model life cycle management
• Knowledge in NLP, information retrieval, speech processing, deep learning, RL, etc.
• Experience building production quality and large-scale deployments of ML apps
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, collaborative environment
• Experience with ML systems (SageMaker, MLFlow) and frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, MXNet)
• Publication record in top-tier ML/NLP conferences preferred

Responsibilities

• Address challenges in products through Large Language Models, Deep Learning and Data Science approaches and publish research papers
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to research, implement, evaluate, optimize, productize and maintain ML models
• Stay updated with latest ML developments and present findings
• Work with engineers, product managers to incorporate feedback and requirements
• Lead design reviews, modeling discussions and technical activities
• Contribute to and influence the Conversational AI, NLP, and Data Science roadmap
• Design, build and evaluate AI systems to solve complex customer challenges

Skills

Machine Learning

NLP

Information Retrieval

Deep Learning

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

SageMaker

MLflow

Agentic AI

GenAI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Ph.D in Computer Science or related fields

Tools

SageMaker

MLflow

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

Applied Scientist II

At Qualtrics, we create software the world’s best brands use to deliver exceptional frontline experiences, build high-performing teams, and design products people love. But we are more than a platform—we are the creators and stewards of the Experience Management category serving over 18K clients globally. Building a category takes grit, determination, and a disdain for convention—but most of all it requires close-knit, high-functioning teams with an unwavering dedication to serving our customers. When you join one of our teams, you’ll be part of a nimble group that’s empowered to set aggressive goals and move fast to achieve them. Strategic risks are encouraged and complex problems are solved together, by passing the mic and iterating until the best solution comes to light. You won’t have to look to find growth opportunities—ready or not, they’ll find you. From retail to government to healthcare, we’re on a mission to bring humanity, connection, and empathy back to business. Join over 5,000 people across the globe who think that’s work worth doing.

Why We Have This Role

We are looking for talented and innovative Applied Scientist to bring our Core AI Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence R&D and strategy to the next level. Our goal is to personalize the Qualtrics experience using ML and AI features showcasing Qualtrics data as a core value proposition and competitive advantage. As an Applied Scientist at Qualtrics, you should love building cutting‑edge predictive models to solve hard customer problems. Crafting models in an agile environment to withstand hyper growth and owning quality from end-to-end is a rewarding challenge and one of the reasons Qualtrics is such an exciting place to work!

How You’ll Find Success

Leverage your deep knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) principles, including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and reinforcement learning. Use your understanding of both supervised and unsupervised learning techniques, and their applications in building intelligent systems. Develop and optimize algorithms for building scalable and efficient GenAI applications. Tackle challenging problems in creative ways, leveraging generative models to address real-world use cases and drive innovation. Use effective communication skills to articulate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and gather requirements for GenAI application development. Show strong programming skills in languages like Python, along with proficiency in deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar.

Things You’ll Do

• Address challenges in products through Large Language Models, Deep Learning and Data Science approaches and publish research papers.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to research, implement, evaluate, optimize, productize and maintain cutting‑edge machine learning models to meet the demands of our rapidly growing business.
• Stay on top of the latest developments in machine learning and related research, and present research findings with the broader community.
• Work closely with, and incorporate feedback from other specialists, engineers, and product managers.
• Lead and engage in design reviews, modeling discussions, requirement definitions and other technical activities in diverse capacity.
• Contribute to and inspire the Conversational AI, NLP, and Data Science technology roadmap at Qualtrics.
• Design, build, and evaluate Agentic AI systems to solve complex customer challenges.

What We’re Looking For On Your Resume

• Bachelors and Ph.D in Computer Science or related fields
• Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals and tool ecosystem
• 3+ years of combined academic and industrial research experience in machine learning, NLP, information retrieval, deep learning or a related field.
• Experience with Agentic AI systems, including design, development, and rigorous evaluation of agent performance.
• Deep learning implementation expertise (TensorFlow, PyTorch etc)
• Excellent command of at least one modern programming language (preferably Python)
• Deep understanding of machine learning model life cycle management
• Depth in one or more of the following: Natural Language processing, information retrieval, speech processing, deep learning, reinforcement learning, etc.
• Knowledge of or experience in building production quality and large scale deployment of applications related to machine learning
• Comfortable working in a fast paced, highly collaborative, dynamic work environment.
• Experience in machine learning systems (e.g. SageMaker, MLFlow), and deep learning frameworks (e.g. TensorFlow, PyTorch, MXNet etc)
• Preference for a publication record in top-tier ML and NLP conferences (e.g. NeurIPS, ICML, SIGIR, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP, etc.)

What You Should Know About This Team

The Core AI organization provides AI/ML research and development services for all product lines. We partner with application teams to deliver ML algorithms and models that drive efficiency, innovation, and growth. We identify business needs and define strategies where Qualtrics can most benefit from AI technologies. We stay on top of the latest AI technologies and apply the state of the art to customer business problems. We conduct ML modeling with deep expertise and rigor, including model selection, training, fine‑tuning, customization, explainability, and evaluation. We develop agentic applications, spanning both conversational and non‑conversational interfaces, to empower our diverse global clientele. We architect robust builder platforms that enable customers to seamlessly design and deploy their own custom agents.

Our Team’s Favorite Perks and Benefits

• $1800 Experience bonus to be used for an “Experience” of your choosing
• QMentorship Program matches you with a mentor inside Qualtrics to get meaningful coaching from someone outside your team.
• Amazing QGroup Communities; MOSAIQ, Green Team, Qualtrics Pride, Q&Able, Qualtrics Salute, and Women’s Leadership Development, which exist as places for support, allyship, and advocacy.
• The Qualtrics Hybrid Work Model: Our hybrid work model is elegantly simple: we all gather in the office three days a week; Mondays and Thursdays, plus one day selected by your organizational leader. These purposeful in-person days in thoughtfully designed offices help us do our best work and harness the power of collaboration and innovation. For the rest of the week, work where you want, owning the integration of work and life.

Full-time employees are eligible for medical, dental, vision, life and disability, 401(k) with match, paid time off, a wellness reimbursement, mental health benefits, and an experience bonus.

For full-time positions , this pay range is for base per year; however, base pay offered within this range may vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, education, skills, and experience. A sign‑on bonus and restricted stock units may be included in an employment offer.

For a detailed look at our benefits, visit Qualtrics US Benefits.

Virginia Base Annual Pay Transparency Range $155,000 — $203,500 USD

Qualtrics is an equal opportunity employer meaning that all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic.

Applicants in the United States of America have rights under Federal Employment Laws: Family & Medical Leave Act , Equal Opportunity Employment , Employee Polygraph Protection Act Qualtrics is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Qualtrics will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please let your Qualtrics contact/recruiter know.