Research Scientist: Hierarchical RL Agents

Astera Institute; California; Vor Ort; USD 150.000 - 300.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A forward-thinking research institute is seeking a Research Scientist to develop foundational principles of Artificial General Intelligence. This role involves groundbreaking research on hierarchical reinforcement learning and collaboration with experts in neuroscience and engineering. The perfect candidate has a PhD in a relevant field and a passion for exploring the complexities of the mammalian brain. The position offers a competitive salary range of $150K - $300K, with a mission to push the boundaries of AGI technology without traditional commercial pressures.

Qualifikationen

• PhD preferred but exceptional candidates with non-traditional educational histories are considered.
• Strong foundations in deep learning and graphical models.
• Expert-level skills in deep learning frameworks.

Aufgaben

• Develop and implement new architectures for hierarchical RL.
• Design experiments to test hypotheses regarding cognition and learning.
• Work with neuroscientists to translate frameworks into systems.
• Innovate publication models for open science initiatives.

Kenntnisse

Deep learning

Graphical models

Information theory

Coding proficiency in PyTorch/JAX

Curiosity about the brain

Ausbildung

PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Neuroscience, Physics or related field

Jobbeschreibung

Astera Institute

Research Scientist: Hierarchical RL Agents

About The Role

We are seeking brilliant, unconventional thinkers to join us. In this role, you will not be chasing incremental gains on standard benchmarks. Instead, you will be tasked with developing the foundational principles of Artificial General Intelligence. We believe that understanding the “code of the brain” is the most viable path to building truly intelligent machines, and we are looking for scientists who can bridge the gap between biological intelligence, computational theory, and building at scale.

Core Responsibilities

• Fundamental Research on Hierarchical World Model Learning from Experience: Develop and implement new architectures and learning/inference algorithms for hierarchical RL that supports hierarchical world modeling and hierarchical planning.
• Ethologically constrained learning: Design tasks to evaluate the agent in ethologically constrained environments, and benchmark different agent designs. Design experiments to test hypotheses regarding high-level cognition, causal representations, sensory‑motor integration, active inference, and unsupervised learning.
• Cross‑Disciplinary Collaboration: Work alongside neuroscientists and software engineers to translate abstract mathematical frameworks into scalable systems.
• Contribute to Open Science: Help innovate new publication models that incentivize speedy dissemination, open source code releases, free open access, and impact measurements based on uptake.

Desired Qualifications

• Technical Depth: Preferred: PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Neuroscience, Physics, or a related quantitative field. We are always open to considering exceptional candidates, even those with non‑traditional educational histories.
• Theoretical Rigor: Strong foundations in deep learning, graphical models, and information theory.
• Coding Proficiency: Expert‑level skills in deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/JAX), with a focus on clean, reproducible research code.
• AGI Mindset: A demonstrated interest in the “big questions” of AI—robustness, generalization, and common‑sense reasoning.
• Curious About the Brain: A genuine passion for exploring the computational and architectural principles of the mammalian brain.
• Startup DNA: Ability to thrive in a lean, fast‑paced environment where you have high autonomy and a direct influence on research direction.

Why Join Us?

• We recognize the need for fundamental research: No pressure to align research with quarterly revenue goals, market competition, or product roadmaps. We can focus on solving the core problems and achieving breakthroughs that enable the next generation of AGI technology.
• Mission‑First: Your work contributes directly to the global pool of knowledge and the safe development of AGI.
• Collaborative culture: We work in teams, organized around challenge problems and attack paths, without big‑company inertia or politics.

Compensation Range: $150K - $300K