Research Scientist, Contextual AI and Multimodal Agents

Meta; Redmond (WA); On-site; USD 219,000 - 301,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta is seeking a Research Scientist to advance foundational machine learning research that powers products used by billions of people worldwide.

In this role, you will identify and solve the hardest open problems in core ML — spanning multimodal learning, foundation models, large-scale model training, efficient inference, and agentic systems — and translate breakthrough research into systems that fundamentally improve Meta's products and platforms.

Qualifications

• PhD in CS, AI, ML, or related field with 12+ years of relevant experience.
• Breadth across multimodal learning, foundation models, efficient AI systems.
• Experience turning research into shipped products and platforms.
• Experience with Python and PyTorch or JAX.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive a multi-year research strategy for core ML.
• Lead high-risk research bets from problem formulation to validation.
• Develop novel ML algorithms and architectures for large-scale tasks.
• Advance efficient training and inference with model compression and co-design.
• Establish datasets, benchmarks, and research platforms.
• Mentor researchers and engineers and publish influential work.
• Collaborate with legal, policy, and compliance teams on responsible AI.

Skills

Multimodal learning

Foundation models

Large-scale training

Reinforcement learning

Long-context reasoning

Retrieval

Tool use

PyTorch

JAX

Education

PhD in CS/AI/ML or related field

Bachelor's in CS or related field

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

Job description

Meta is seeking a Research Scientist to advance foundational machine learning research that powers products used by billions of people worldwide. In this role, you will identify and solve the hardest open problems in core ML — spanning areas such as multimodal learning, foundation models, large-scale model training, efficient inference, and agentic systems — and translate breakthrough research into systems that fundamentally improve Meta's products and platforms.This is a senior individual-contributor role for a recognized technical authority. You will define the long-term technical vision for your research area, serve as a principal driver of Meta's most ambitious bets in machine learning, and align work across disciplines and organizations around a coherent multi-year direction. You will remain technically deep—prototyping critical-path ideas, stress-testing results, and making consequential technical decisions—while multiplying the impact of other researchers and engineers through mentorship, collaboration, and clear scientific judgment.Research Scientist, Contextual AI and Multimodal Agents Responsibilities:Define and drive a multi-year research strategy for core machine learning, connecting areas such as multimodal understanding, foundation models, efficient training and inference, and agentic reasoning into a coherent research portfolioServe as a principal technical driver for critical, high-risk research bets with multi-year potential, carrying them from problem formulation through scientific validation, system demonstration, and productizationLead ambitious research initiatives across algorithm and system design, implementation, experimentation, evaluation, and transfer into reusable platforms or product capabilitiesDevelop novel ML algorithms and architectures—including training, post-training, reinforcement-learning, and evaluation methods—that advance the state of the art in areas such as large-scale optimization, representation learning, and generalizationAdvance efficient training and inference through model compression, quantization, distillation, adaptive computation, and hardware-software co-design for on-device and large-scale deploymentEstablish shared datasets, benchmarks, evaluation frameworks, and research platforms that raise the quality bar across multiple teams and product areasIdentify new product opportunities and build durable collaborations across Meta, academia, and industry to move research into widely useful technologyMentor researchers and engineers across teams, provide technical counsel on consequential decisions, and raise the scientific and engineering bar for the broader organizationPublish influential research, contribute open-source software and datasets where appropriate, and strengthen Meta's position in the research community through talks, collaborations, and servicePartner with legal, policy, and compliance teams to ensure that ML research and deployment practices uphold privacy, security, and responsible AI standardsMinimum Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experiencePhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field12+ years of research or applied-development experience in machine learning, artificial intelligence, or related areasRecognized authority in a relevant research area, with demonstrated breadth across adjacent areas such as multimodal learning, foundation models, efficient AI systems, or agentic AIExperience setting the technical direction for a research area and leading multiple complex initiatives whose methods, systems, or strategy were adopted beyond the immediate teamHands-on experience building and evaluating foundation-model systems, such as large language models or multimodal models using techniques like long-context reasoning, retrieval, or tool useDemonstrated success carrying research from inception into shipped product capabilities, widely adopted platforms, commercialized technology, or open-source systems with a meaningful user communitySustained record of influential research contributions demonstrated through publications at leading venues, widely adopted research artifacts, patents, or comparable impact on the fieldExperience building and leading durable cross-organizational collaborations, including partnerships with external research institutions or industry, and mentoring senior researchers or engineers beyond the immediate teamExperience with Python and modern machine-learning frameworks such as PyTorch or JAXPreferred Qualifications:Reinforcement learning for reasoning, agent self-improvement, or adaptive behaviorExperience driving ML efficiency and scalability improvements across large distributed training or inference systems, including model compression, quantization, distillation, and adaptive computationResearch contributions that have introduced new paradigms or techniques subsequently adopted broadly within the ML community, such as novel architectures, training methods, or theoretical frameworksImplementation or deployment of ML systems on mobile, embedded, or other resource-constrained platformsFounding or growing research communities, open-source ecosystems, or strategic industry-academic collaborationsExperience collaborating with privacy, security, or integrity teams to design ML systems that are robust, safe, and compliant with regulatory requirementsDesign of datasets, benchmarks, or evaluation methods for foundation models, multimodal understanding, or agent capabilityAbout 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 Affirmative Action employer. 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].$219,000/year to $301,000/year + bonus + equity + benefitsIndividual 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.