Principal AI Research Engineer

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 270,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace company in San Jose, California, seeks a senior AI/ML researcher to design, implement, and evaluate novel machine learning algorithms for scalable, production-ready systems. You will iterate from data needs to deployment, collaborating with researchers to validate approaches from academic literature.

The role requires strong PhD/MS in AI/ML, expertise in PyTorch/TensorFlow, and deep knowledge of transformers, diffusion, and multi-modal models.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science or Computer Engineering with strong emphasis on AI/ML.
• Enjoys solving less-defined and complex problems.
• Familiarity with good software practices and development, including code quality, version control, etc.
• Very strong with ML frameworks such as PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• Good understanding of Transformer architectures, attention mechanisms, multi-modal foundation models, diffusion policies, fine-tuning, model distillation, mixture of experts, and other similar topics.
• Has strong ability to debug and determine requirements for AI models in terms of data, training, and evaluation.
• Is up to date with research literature and recent ML techniques and methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and evaluate novel machine learning and deep learning algorithms.
• Iterate on AI model development; starting from data needed for training, architecture, input/output representations, evaluation, and deployment.
• Collaborate with other researcher engineers to prototype and validate complex solutions from academic literature.
• Conduct experiments to benchmark new techniques and evaluate model behavior.
• Develop tools and frameworks to support scalable and reproducible research and development.
• Communicate research findings to leadership in a concise and convincing manner.
• Stay current with the latest developments in AI/ML and identify relevant innovations.
• Assist in transitioning research prototypes into production-ready systems.

Skills

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Transformers

Attention mechanisms

Multi-modal models

Model fine-tuning

Model distillation

Mixture of experts

Experimentation

Debugging AI models

Education

MS or PhD in CS/CE with AI/ML emphasis

Job description

Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.

Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.

What You’ll Do

• Design, implement, and evaluate novel machine learning and deep learning algorithms.
• Iterate on AI model development; starting from the data needed for training, architecture, input/output representations, evaluation, and deployment.
• Collaborate with other researcher engineers to prototype and validate complex solutions from academic literature.
• Conduct experiments to benchmark new techniques and evaluate model behavior.
• Develop tools and frameworks to support scalable and reproducible research and development.
• Communicate research findings to leadership in a concise and convincing manner.
• Stay current with the latest developments in AI/ML and identify relevant innovations.
• Assist in transitioning research prototypes into production-ready systems.

What You Need

• M.S or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, or Computer Engineering with strong emphasis on AI and ML.
• Enjoys solving less-defined and complex problems.
• Familiarity with good software practices and development, including code quality, version control, etc.
• Very strong with ML frameworks such as PyTorch, or TensorFlow.
• Good understanding of Transformer architectures, attention mechanisms, multi-modal foundation models, diffusion policies, fine-tuning, model distillation, mixture of experts, and other similar topics.
• Has strong ability to debug and determine requirements for AI models in terms of data, training, and evaluation.
• Is up to date with research literature and recent ML techniques and methodologies.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with Reinforcement Learning, self-supervised training, and imitation learning is a plus.
• Experience developing VLA (Vision Language Action) models for robotic manipulation and mobility is a plus.
• Experience developing production AI models is a plus.
• Publications at top conferences are a plus.

Please note that this job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and does not include an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications.

We drive a pay‑for‑performance culture and reward performance that supports the Company’s business strategy. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $270,000.00 - $340,000.00. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.