Senior AI Research Engineer

TrulyHired; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 197,000 - 267,000; Full time

Job summary

Duolingo in the United States is seeking a Senior AI Research Engineer to join the Video Call team. You will build and refine AI systems across LLMs, speech and multimodal models, with end-to-end responsibilities from data preparation to deployment and monitoring.

The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and delivering scalable, high-quality ML solutions that improve the learning experience for billions of users worldwide.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an AI research engineer in LLMs, multimodal modeling, speech, or related fields.
• Strong background in training and fine-tuning large models in an applied setting.
• Advanced degree in CS, Engineering, or related field with focus on ML/AI, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Join a full-stack team of frontend, backend and other AI Research engineers, fostering collaboration.
• Develop and train a variety of ML models, including large-scale neural networks, speech recognition, and text-to-speech systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align model outputs with company objectives.
• Participate in strategic product and business decision-making with Language Learning leadership.
• Stay up-to-date with ML developments and apply them to our projects.
• Mentor team members and guide best practices.

Skills

AI research

LLMs

Multimodal modeling

Speech

Team leadership

Education

Advanced degree in CS/Engineering or related field

Job description

Senior AI Research Engineer Full Description

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Its a big mission, and thats where you come in!

At Duolingo, youll join a team that cares about finding innovative solutions to complex technical problems , running countless experiments (300+ at a time!) with our massive user base to make data-driven decisions, and educating our users and employees alike. Youll have limitless learning opportunities, mentorship and collaboration with world-class minds, and a variety of projects with large scopes while doing work thats both fun and meaningful.

Join our life-changing mission to develop education for our half a billion (and growing!) learners around the world.

About the role...

We are looking for a Senior AI Research Engineer to join our Duolingo Video Call team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record as an AI research engineer, with experience across various machine learning techniques including large language models, speech models, benchmarking, and/or personalization. They will have experience at multiple levels of the ML stack, including feature engineering, developing training data, fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, quality evaluations, deployment, and monitoring. On the Video Call team, were building AI systems that support the core learning mission of Duolingo, improving the learning experience and helping our learners build healthy, productive habits. Given the wide array of AI domains, broad experience in AI/ML is highly desirable.

You will...

• Join a full-stack team of frontend, backend and other AI Research engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative work environment.
• Contribute to the development and training of a variety of machine learning models, including large-scale neural networks, speech recognition, and text-to-speech systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand their needs, to align the models outputs with company objectives.
• Participate in and influence strategic product and business decision making with members of the Language Learning leadership group.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in machine learning and apply this knowledge to drive advancements in our projects.
• Mentor team members, providing guidance and support in their professional development.
• Ensure the delivery of high-quality, scalable, and efficient machine learning solutions.

You have...

• Proven experience as an AI research engineer, for example, in LLMs, multimodal modeling, speech, or related fields.
• Strong background in training and fine-tuning large models in an applied setting.
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field with a focus on machine learning or artificial intelligence, or equivalent experience.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to lead and inspire a team.
• Technical depth sufficient to guide architecture and implementation tradeoffs, evolve quality standards, and mentor engineers on best practices.
• Deep understanding of machine learning concepts, frameworks, and best practices.

The offered salary is dependent upon several factors, including work experience, skills, and internal peer comparisons. The posted range is subject to change in the future. For this role, base salary is supplemented by equity compensation.

Salary Range:

$197,200-$266,800 USD

Accommodations:

We will do everything we can within reason to make sure that your interview takes place in an environment that fairly and accurately assesses your skills. If you need assistance or accommodation, please contact [email protected] .

Equal Employment Opportunity:

Duolingo is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

By applying for this position your data will be processed as per the Duolingo Applicant Privacy Notice .