Senior Computer Vision and Machine Learning Research Scientist

University of Georgia- FACS; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 256,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

401k with employer match

Paid time off

Parental leave

Medical, Dental, Vision

Wellness support

Learning & Development

Snacks in offices

Job summary

Axon is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to join our AI teams focusing on computer vision and machine learning (CVML). Based in Seattle with a hybrid schedule, you will lead end-to-end research on computer vision, multimodal data, and edge deployment, collaborating with product managers, engineers and cross-functional teams.

You will publish findings, contribute to patents, and mentor junior scientists while delivering practical AI solutions for Axon products.

Qualifications

• PhD and 3+ years experience in computer vision or AI.
• Proven track record in ML or CV research.
• Experience driving the ML development lifecycle at scale.
• Strong CV fundamentals: detection, segmentation, action recognition.
• Excellent problem solving and teamwork.
• Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras).
• Good communication for technical concepts.
• Edge-device experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with scientists, engineers and PMs to build proofs-of-concept.
• Lead end-to-end CVML research for cloud and devices.
• Design privacy-preserving, efficient models for inference.
• Develop metrics and validate real-world effectiveness.
• Optimize algorithms for resource-constrained devices.
• Stay up-to-date with CVML advances and publish findings.
• Contribute to publications and patent disclosures.
• Coach and mentor junior scientists.

Skills

PhD

CV/ML research

Python

PyTorch/TensorFlow

Edge devices

Communication skills

Education

PhD in CS

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Keras

Job description

Join Axon and be a Force for Good.

At Axon, we're on a mission to Protect Life. We're explorers, pursuing society's most critical safety and justice issues with our ecosystem of devices and cloud software. Like our products, we work better together. We connect with candor and care, seeking out diverse perspectives from our customers, communities and each other.

Life at Axon is fast-paced, challenging and meaningful. Here, you'll take ownership and drive real change. Constantly grow as you work hard for a mission that matters at a company where you matter.

Your Impact

We are seeking a skilled and innovative Senior Research Scientist to join one of our AI teams focusing on computer vision and machine learning (CVML). As a research scientist at Axon you will play a crucial role in developing AI solutions that transform both the enterprise and public safety domains and support our company's mission: accelerate justice, protect truth, and save lives. You will advance the state-of-the-art in CVML and multimodal technology and apply your research findings to create new responsible AI capabilities for Axon products. You will collaborate with product managers, engineers and cross‑functional teams to train models and develop cutting‑edge algorithms and solutions that enable intelligent perception and understanding of visual data.

What You'll Do

Reports to: Director of AI Research

Location: This role is based out of our Seattle, WA office and follows a hybrid schedule. We rely on in-person collaboration and ask that team members work onsite Tuesdays through Fridays, with the flexibility to work remotely on Mondays, unless there is an approved workplace accommodation. We believe that connection fuels innovation, and our in-office culture is designed to foster meaningful teamwork, mentorship, and shared success.

• Collaborate with other scientists, engineers and product managers to build proof-of-concepts to shape the Axon of tomorrow.
• Lead end-to-end research efforts in advanced computer vision, machine learning and gen-AI techniques for cloud and devices from multimodal data sources, including scene understanding, action recognition and anomaly detection.
• Design and implement responsible, privacy-preserving, efficient and scalable models for inference and analysis of visual data.
• Develop performance and quality metrics for CVML models and systems, and validate their effectiveness in real-world settings.
• Optimize algorithms for performance, memory footprint, and energy efficiency to meet the requirements of resource‑constrained devices.
• Stay up-to‑date with the latest research and advances in CVML and translate relevant findings into shipping Axon products.
• Contribute to academic publications, technical documentation, and patent disclosures to share insights and findings with the broader community.
• Coach and mentor junior scientists.

What You Bring

• PhD and 3+ years experience in Computer Science or a related field with a focus on computer vision, machine learning, artificial intelligence or related technical fields.
• Proven track record of research in machine learning, computer vision or related fields.
• Experience driving the ML development lifecycle and leveraging state-of-the-art research to deliver high quality models at scale.
• Strong computer vision fundamentals such as image processing, feature extractions, object detection, semantic segmentation, video analysis or action recognition.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.
• Proficiency in Python and frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow or Keras.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively present complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience in developing computer vision algorithms for resource‑constrained edge devices or embedded systems preferred but optional.

Benefits that Benefit You

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work

#LI-Hybrid

Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors. Our benefits offer an array of options to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. To see more details on our benefits offerings please visit https://www.axon.com/careers.

Base Pay Range

$159,750-$255,600 USD

We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description.

Important Notes

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

We collect personal information from applicants to evaluate candidates for employment. You may request access, deletion, or exercise other CCPA rights at [e-mail] or via our Axon Privacy Web Form. For more information, please see the Your California Privacy Rights section of our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice.

Axon's mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well‑being and safety of its employees as well as Axon's impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We're committed to hiring the best talent - regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances - and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work.

If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email [e-mail]. Please note that this email address is for accommodation purposes only. Axon will not respond to inquiries for other purposes.