Head of Research (AI / ML) [32814]

Stealth AI Startup; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 360,000 - 440,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary up to $400,000

Access to significant compute resources

Collaboration with elite engineers and researchers

Job summary

A leading AI research company in California is seeking a Head of Research to guide a high-caliber team focused on machine learning and AI systems. This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on contributions to research breakthroughs that will drive product and business success. Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant field, a decade of experience in AI research, and leadership in a research capacity. Competitive salary up to $400,000 and significant research resources are offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML research, with leadership experience.
• Proven track record of impactful research contributions.
• Deep expertise in modern ML techniques, especially LLMs.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the research vision and roadmap.
• Lead and grow a team of AI Researchers and Applied Scientists.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Leadership.

Skills

AI/ML research experience

Leadership in research

Communication of technical ideas

Deep learning expertise

Education

PhD in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Base pay range

$400,000.00/yr - $400,000.00/yr

About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Research to lead and scale a world‑class AI research organization focused on advancing the state of the art in machine learning, large language models, and applied AI systems. This role is both strategic and hands‑on, responsible for defining long‑term research vision while actively contributing to breakthrough innovations that directly impact product and business outcomes.

As Head of Research, you will build, mentor, and manage a high‑caliber team of researchers and research engineers, partner closely with executive leadership, and translate cutting‑edge research into scalable, real‑world systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the research vision and roadmap, aligned with company strategy and long‑term goals
• Lead and grow a team of AI Researchers, Applied Scientists, and Research Engineers
• Drive innovation across areas such as:
• Reasoning and planning systems
• Representation learning
• Robustness, safety, and evaluation
• Multimodal and agent‑based systems
• Balance long‑horizon exploratory research with near‑term applied research that powers products
• Ensure research excellence through strong scientific rigor, reproducibility, and evaluation standards
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Leadership to transition research into production
• Represent the company externally through publications, conferences, and industry engagement
• Establish best practices for research processes, tooling, and infrastructure
• Mentor senior researchers and develop future research leaders

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a closely related field (or equivalent research experience)
• 10+ years of experience in AI/ML research, with at least several years in a research leadership role
• Proven track record of high‑impact research contributions (top‑tier conferences, journals, or widely adopted systems)
• Deep expertise in modern ML techniques, especially LLMs, deep learning, and foundation models
• Experience leading and scaling research teams in industry or advanced research labs
• Strong understanding of the tradeoffs between research innovation and production constraints
• Ability to communicate complex technical ideas clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading research at a top AI lab, FAANG company, or well‑known AI startup
• Publications at leading venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP)
• Experience with model training at scale, including distributed systems and ML infrastructure
• Background in deploying research models into real‑world products
• Prior experience influencing company‑level technical strategy

What We Offer

• Base salary up to $400,000, plus competitive equity
• Opportunity to shape the future direction of cutting‑edge AI research
• Access to significant compute and research resources
• Collaboration with elite engineers, researchers, and product leaders
• A culture that values deep thinking, experimentation, and long‑term impact

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Research and Engineering

Industries

• Technology, Information and Internet