Senior Research Engineer (Up to $400k total)

Confidential Startup; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Startup in the United States seeks a Senior Research Engineer to lead research, development, and deployment of AI/ML solutions. You will bridge research ideas with production systems and collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and product teams.

The role emphasizes Generative AI, LLMs, NLP, computer vision, and scalable AI architectures, with a focus on turning research concepts into practical, production-ready solutions and advancing the organization's AI capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML, Machine Learning Engineering, Data Science, or related areas.
• Strong hands-on experience developing and deploying AI/ML solutions.
• Experience with Generative AI, LLMs, RAG, prompt engineering, AI agents, and model evaluation.
• Strong knowledge of machine learning and deep learning frameworks such as Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar technologies.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop advanced AI and Machine Learning models and solutions.
• Design, build, test, and deploy AI/ML applications for real-world business problems.
• Work with Generative AI, LLMs, NLP, deep learning, computer vision, and predictive analytics.
• Develop and evaluate machine learning models, algorithms, and AI architectures.
• Experiment with emerging AI technologies and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Develop AI prototypes and transform successful research concepts into production-ready solutions.
• Build and improve AI agents, RAG solutions, embeddings, model evaluation, and AI-powered automation.
• Work with large datasets to develop, train, fine-tune, and evaluate AI/ML models.
• Collaborate with software engineers, data scientists, product teams, and business stakeholders.
• Establish best practices for AI model performance, scalability, security, and responsible AI.
• Stay current with the latest developments in AI, ML, Generative AI, and foundation models.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the organization's AI technical strategy.

Skills

AI/ML expertise

Generative AI

LLMs

NLP

Deep learning

Model evaluation

MLOps

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/AI/Data Science

Tools

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Research Engineer to lead the research, development, and implementation of advanced Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning solutions. This role combines AI research, hands‑on engineering, experimentation, and production deployment to solve complex business and technical problems.

The ideal candidate has strong experience in AI/ML, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), deep learning, machine learning algorithms, and AI-driven applications, with the ability to turn research ideas into practical, scalable solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Research and develop advanced AI and Machine Learning models and solutions.
• Design, build, test, and deploy AI/ML applications for real‑world business problems.
• Work with Generative AI, LLMs, NLP, deep learning, computer vision, and predictive analytics.
• Develop and evaluate machine learning models, algorithms, and AI architectures.
• Experiment with emerging AI technologies and identify opportunities for innovation.
• Develop AI prototypes and transform successful research concepts into production‑ready solutions.
• Build and improve AI agents, RAG solutions, embeddings, model evaluation, and AI‑powered automation.
• Work with large datasets to develop, train, fine‑tune, and evaluate AI/ML models.
• Collaborate with software engineers, data scientists, product teams, and business stakeholders.
• Establish best practices for AI model performance, scalability, security, and responsible AI.
• Stay current with the latest developments in AI, ML, Generative AI, and foundation models.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the organization's AI technical strategy.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML, Machine Learning Engineering, Data Science, or related areas.
• Strong hands‑on experience developing and deploying AI/ML solutions.
• Experience with Generative AI, LLMs, RAG, prompt engineering, AI agents, and model evaluation.
• Strong knowledge of machine learning and deep learning frameworks such as Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar technologies.
• Experience with cloud AI/ML platforms and production machine learning environments.
• Understanding of MLOps, model deployment, APIs, data pipelines, and scalable AI architectures.
• Strong analytical, research, problem‑solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience conducting AI/ML research and publishing or presenting technical work.
• Experience with fine‑tuning and adapting foundation models.
• Experience with vector databases, knowledge retrieval, and enterprise AI applications.
• Experience designing AI solutions for supply chain, warehouse, logistics, manufacturing, or other enterprise environments.
• Experience leading AI projects from research and proof of concept through production deployment.

What Success Looks Like

The successful candidate will help build the organization's next generation of AI capabilities, turning innovative research into practical solutions that improve automation, decision‑making, productivity, and business performance.