Founding CTO / Research Lead

ONTHEBIAS; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

ONTHEBIAS is looking for a Founding CTO / Research Lead to revolutionize physical product design through AI. This role involves developing models grounded in manufacturing physics, leading a research roadmap, and building a team.

Your input will shape a new vertical in generative AI by focusing on practical applications in manufacturing. The ideal candidate will have a PhD or equivalent self-taught depth in relevant fields and experience in impactful research.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of computer graphics, computer vision, geometry processing, or robotics.
• Proven impact through published research in top venues.
• Desire to apply AI in the manufacturing sector.

Responsibilities

• Own the development of foundation models for manufacturing.
• Lead the research roadmap and hiring of the research team.
• Generate impactful research that will be cited.

Skills

Computer graphics

Computer vision

Geometry processing

Robotics

Research publication

AI in manufacturing

Education

PhD or equivalent self-taught depth

Job description

Hello, we are ONTHEBIAS - the AI workforce for physical product design and creation. We turn 40 hours of design-to-factory work into 10 minutes.

We are now investor-backed, and have helped 10,000s of designers and brands in over 46 different countries - including Nike, Puma, and thousands more.

I'm looking for Founding CTO / Research Lead. You own the model. You own the architecture. You own the research roadmap.

What you'd build:

• Foundation models grounded in actual manufacturing physics - seams, tolerances, fabrication processes, factory ontologies.
• Multimodal generation across 2D, 3D, geometry, BOMs, technical specs.
• The first model that doesn't just generate images of products - it generates products factories can actually make.
• The research roadmap that defines a new vertical of generative AI.
• Research that gets cited, not just shipped.
• Hiring the research team beneath you down the road.

Who I'm looking for:

• PhD or equivalent self-taught depth in computer graphics, computer vision, geometry processing, robotics, or related foundation-model research.
• You've shipped research that mattered - top-venue papers, used architectures, open-source impact.
• You read papers because you have to know.
• You want to build something that exists in the physical world, not just on screens.
• You're missionary about applying AI to manufacturing - the most under-served trillion-dollar layer of the economy.
• You want to be the technical founder, not the 50th hire.
• Experience with fashion or physical product design is a bonus.

Why this over the rest of the AI infra space:

• Most AI infra is software-on-software. This is software-on-atoms.
• Most foundation models are trained on internet text or images. This one is trained on the ground truth of how physical things get made.
• Most AI-for-X is wrappers. This is the model layer itself.

Location:

SF preferred for now. Open longer-term.