Research Scientist – Central Applied Science

Meta; New York (NY); On-site; USD 184,000 - 257,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Meta is seeking an experienced Research Scientist to join the Central Applied Science team. You will work with vast data, formulate research questions, and build data-driven products that influence Meta’s engineering systems and operations.

The role emphasizes developing novel quantitative methods, achieving long‑term research goals, and communicating results to partners across product and infrastructure teams.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent research background in relevant field.
• Experience publishing in ML, AI, CS or data science.
• 4+ years in applied R&D or similar role.

Responsibilities

• Generate research questions from large data sets and build data‑driven products.
• Develop quantitative methods on Meta data infrastructure.
• Advance long-term research goals with milestones.
• Share best practices in quantitative analysis with partners.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers and PMs to deliver value.
• Identify opportunities for scientific tooling and impactful systems.

Skills

Python programming

Publications

Research methods

Machine learning

Statistics

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE or related

PhD in CS/Statistics/OR or related

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

Python

Presto

Hive

Spark

C/C++/Java

Job description

We’re looking for applied scientists with substantial industry experience to join the Central Applied Science team. Central Applied Science is home to experts from many scientific fields, partnering across the company to deliver engineering systems that bring research and innovation to fundamentally contribute to Meta's success.You will be empowered to leverage your expertise and drive impact across a range of products, infrastructure and company operations. Individuals in this role are expected to perform well in a research engineering capacity and hold publications within research areas including artificial intelligence, machine learning, statistics, operations research, causal inference and experimentation. Experience building data-driven products and forming research frameworks to solve challenging, real-world problems.

Research Scientist – Central Applied Science Responsibilities:

• Work with vast amounts of data, generate research questions that push the state-of-the-art, and build data-driven products which impact the business
• Develop novel quantitative methods on top of Meta's unparalleled data infrastructure
• Work towards long-term ambitious research goals, while identifying intermediate milestones
• Communicate best practices in quantitative analysis to partners
• Work both independently and collaboratively with other scientists, engineers, and product managers to accomplish complex tasks that deliver demonstrable value to Meta's community of over 3.8 billion users
• Actively identify new opportunities for scientific tooling and systems to yield outsized impact, in line with Central Applied Science's role and mission within Meta

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• PhD in computer science, statistics, operations research or a related field
• 4+ years of industry experience in an applied R&D capacity or similar function
• Publications in Machine Learning, AI, computer science, statistics, data science, or related technical fields
• Experience analyzing datasets using languages such as Python
• Experience using machine learning and deep learning frameworks, such as PyTorch, TensorFlow or scikit-learn
• Experience developing algorithms in languages such as Python, C, C++ or Java
• Experience analyzing large datasets using tools such as Presto, Hive or Spark
• Must obtain work authorization in country of employment at the time of hire, and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Track record of building end-to-end systems which bring science and engineering to solve critical business problems
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
• Engagement with leaders to drive decision-making based on a thorough understanding of science and business constraints

About Meta:

Meta builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. People who choose to build their careers by building with us at Meta help shape a future that will take us beyond what digital connection makes possible today—beyond the constraints of screens, the limits of distance, and even the rules of physics.

Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affi We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment.

Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

$183,997/year to $257,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits

Individual compensation is determined by skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Compensation details listed in this posting reflect the base hourly rate, monthly rate, or annual salary only, and do not include bonus, equity or sales incentives, if applicable. In addition to base compensation, Meta offers benefits. Learn more about benefits at Meta.