Senior Research Scientist, Open Ecosystem

The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Employee assistance program

401(k) plan

Commuting stipend

Wellbeing stipend

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Ai2) in Seattle, WA seeks a Senior Research Scientist for the Open Ecosystem. You will lead research on training and deploying fully open foundation models, emphasizing agentic training and multimodal data.

This role combines scientific leadership with the opportunity to build scalable training pipelines and curate high‑quality datasets. Applicants should have a PhD in AI/ML, a strong track record of open research, and the ability to publish in

Qualifications

• PhD level in AI/ML or related field is required.
• Significant experience building and training modern foundation models.
• Experience with agentic training and multimodal data is highly preferred.
• Strong publication record and ability to present research findings.

Responsibilities

• Lead ground‑breaking research in foundation model development.
• Develop and optimize training pipelines and data curation for large models.
• Publish papers and present results at peer‑reviewed venues and conferences.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams and external partners to advance Ai2’s mission.

Skills

Foundation models

Agentic training

Multimodal data

Training pipelines

Data curation

Education

PhD in AI/ML or related

Job description

Senior Research Scientist, Open Ecosystem

Seattle, WA

Persons in these roles are expected to work from our offices in Seattle. On-site requirements vary based on position and team. If you have questions about on-site work arrangements for this role, please ask your recruiter.

Ourbase salary range is $170,000 - $270,000, and in addition we have generous bonus plans to provide a competitive compensation package.

Who You Are:

We are hiring for a Senior Research Scientist to join us in training fully open foundation models with a focus on accelerating scientific discovery. The ideal candidate will have significant experience building and training modern foundation models, including developing training pipelines and curating high-quality training data. We are particularly interested in candidates with expertise in agentic training, passion for applying AI to accelerate scientific discovery, and experience with multimodal data.

Who We Are:

The Open Ecosystem team, responsible for the Olmo and Molmo model series, develops and releases truly open AI research and best-in-class artifacts that transform the way researchers, scientists, and practitioners think about and participate in AI research, development, and societal impact. We are hiring in particular for a subteam of the Open Ecosystem focused on centering the needs of scientists within our foundation model development.

The Open Ecosystem group currently has projects in the following areas:

• Foundation models for scientific use cases
• Fundamental investigations in foundation model training
• Agentic training

We are seeking Senior Research Scientists who are creative, visionary thinkers and passionate about making major impacts in their field. Senior Research Scientists at Ai2 provide scientific leadership, define and conduct ground-breaking research, have the opportunity to lead small teams, and help drive and refine Ai2’s mission in an exciting, fast-paced research environment. They also have the opportunity to take a leading role in overseeing and implementing software systems supporting Ai2’s research, author and present scientific papers and presentations for peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and help develop collaborative and strategic relationships with relevant academic, industrial, government, and standards organizations.

What You’ll Need:

Applicants for Senior Research Scientist at Ai2 should have a strong foundation (PhD level) in areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, or related domains. We look favorably upon extensive work experience and publishing demonstrating application of your research. Applicants for this particular position should have significant experience building and training modern foundation models, including developing training pipelines and curating high-quality training data, with particular preference for candidates with expertise in agentic training, passion for applying AI to accelerate scientific discovery, and experience with multimodal data.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time.
• The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• The ability to observe details at close range.

A Little More About Ai2:

Ai2 is a Seattle based non-profit AI research institute founded in 2014 by the late Paul Allen. Our mission is building breakthrough AI to solve the world’s biggest problems. We develop foundational AI research and innovation to deliver real-world impact through large-scale open models, data, robotics, conservation, and beyond.

In addition to Ai2's core mission, we also aim to contribute to humanity through our treatment of each member of the Ai2 Team. Some highlights are:

• We are a learning organization - because everything Ai2 does is ground-breaking, we are learning every day. Similarly, through weekly Ai2 Academy lectures, a wide variety of world-class AI experts as guest speakers, and our commitment to your personal on-going education, Ai2 is a place where you will have opportunities to continue learning alongside your coworkers.
• We value diversity - We seek to hire, support, and promote people from all genders, ethnicities, and all levels of experience regardless of age. We particularly encourage applications from women, non-binary individuals, people of color, members of the LGBTQA+ community, and people with disabilities of any kind.
• We value inclusion - We understand the value that people's individual experiences and perspectives can bring to an organization, and we are building a culture in which all voices are heard, respected and considered.
• We emphasize a healthy work/life balance - we believe our team members are happiest and most productive when their work/life balance is optimized. While we value powerful research results which drive our mission forward, we also value dinner with family, weekend time, and vacation time. We offer generous paid vacation and sick leave as well as family leave.
• We are collaborative and transparent - we consider ourselves a team, all moving with a common purpose. We are quick to cheer our successes, and even quicker to share and jointly problem solve our failures.
• We are in Seattle - and our office is on the water! We have mountains, we have lakes, we have four seasons, we bike to work, we have a vibrant theater scene, and we have so much else. We even have kayaks for you to paddle right outside our front door. We welcome interest from applicants from outside of the United States.
• We are friendly - chances are you will like every one of the 200+ (and growing) people who work here. We do.

Ai2 is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. You may view the related Know Your Rights compliance poster and the Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision by clicking on their corresponding links.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees and applicants with disabilities to the full extent required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you feel you need a reasonable accommodation pursuant to the ADA, you are encouraged to contact us at [e-mail].

• Team members and their families are covered by medical, dental, vision, and an employee assistance program.
• Team members are able to enroll in our health savings account plan, our healthcare reimbursement arrangement plan, and our health care and dependent care flexible spending account plans.
• Team members are able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan.
• Team members will receive $125 per month to assist with commuting or internet expenses and will also receive $200 per month for fitness and wellbeing expenses.
• Team members will also receive up to ten sick days per year, up to seven personal days per year, up to 20 vacation days per year and twelve paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
• Team members will be able to receive annual bonuses and can participate in the long-term incentive plan.

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the team members(s) of this position. Team members will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the team member(s) will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at will relationship.