Senior Research Scientist

techire ai; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 400,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Techire AI in San Francisco is seeking a Senior Research Scientist to own post-training and evaluation for next-generation speech models. You will curate data, fine-tune pre-trained models and build scalable evaluation infra.

The role focuses on reducing hallucinations, improving instruction-following and generalisation at scale, with access to large datasets and high-profile traction. Onsite from SF with relocation support for US candidates.

Qualifications

• PhD in ML or related field with a strong publications record.
• Hands-on experience training large speech models (ASR, TTS, or speech-to-speech).
• Solid post-training and supervised fine-tuning (SFT) experience.

Responsibilities

• Shape the data that goes into post-training — sourcing, cleaning and structuring it for large speech models.
• Supervised fine-tuning of pre-trained speech models.
• Build evaluation workflows — automated and human-in-the-loop.
• Drive measurable improvements in hallucination rates, instruction-following and generalisation.

Skills

Large speech models training

Post-training & SFT experience

Education

PhD in ML or related field

Job description

Want to work on one of the hardest unsolved problems in voice AI — making it actually sound like a human conversation?

Most voice AI falls apart the moment a conversation gets messy. Someone interrupts, emotions shift, the flow breaks — and the model can't keep up.

A small, ambitious SF startup is tackling exactly these problems, building speech models that handle natural conversation the way humans actually experience it. They have a working prototype and early commercial traction across several high-profile industry verticals.

The role

As a Senior Research Scientist, your focus is post-training — curating data, fine-tuning pre-trained speech models, and building the evaluation infrastructure that validates it all. You'll work on large-scale models with access to significant data resources.

What you'll do

• Shape the data that goes into post-training — sourcing, cleaning and structuring it for large speech models

• Supervised fine-tuning of pre-trained speech models

• Build evaluation workflows — automated and human-in-the-loop

• Drive measurable improvements in hallucination rates, instruction-following and generalisation

What you’ll bring

• PhD in ML or related field with a strong publications record

• Hands‑on experience training large speech models — ASR, TTS, or speech‑to‑speech

• Solid post‑training and SFT experience

The founding team includes a founding engineer from a billion-dollar AI company where they co-created one of the first generative models in the field, alongside the co-creator of the first generative voice at one of the world's largest tech companies.

Compensation is between $400k-$500k base with generous equity.

Based in San Francisco, onsite. Relocation support for those in US and willing to make the move.