Staff AI Research Engineer

Duolingo; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 220,800 - 331,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits for holistic well-being

Job summary

Duolingo is seeking an experienced AI Research Engineer for the Monetization team in Pittsburgh, United States. The role involves developing AI systems that enhance the learning experience while driving business goals. Candidates should have a strong background in machine learning and AI.

The position offers a competitive salary range of $220,800 to $331,200 USD and opportunities for mentorship and professional development.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as an AI research engineer in LLMs, bandits, or related fields.
• Strong background in training and fine-tuning large models in applied settings.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Join a full-stack team fostering collaboration and innovation.
• Develop and train bandit models and large-scale neural network models.
• Collaborate with teams to align models’ outputs with company objectives.
• Drive strategic product and business decision-making.
• Mentor team members.
• Deliver high-quality, scalable machine learning solutions.

Skills

Machine Learning Techniques

Large Language Models

Reinforcement Learning

Team Leadership

Feature Engineering

Monitoring and Deployment

Education

Advanced degree in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Our mission at Duolingo is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. It’s a big mission, and that’s where you come in! At Duolingo, you’ll 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. You’ll have limitless learning opportunities, mentorship and collaboration with world‑class minds, and a variety of projects with large scopes — while doing work that’s 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 an experienced AI Research Engineer to join our Duolingo Monetization team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record as an AI research engineer, with extensive experience across various machine learning techniques including large language models, multi‑armed bandits, and more. They will have experience at all levels of the ML stack, including feature engineering, developing training data, fine‑tuning, reinforcement learning, quality evaluations, deployment, and monitoring. On the Monetization team, we’re building AI systems to improve the learning experience while driving our business, including deploying our research into bandit models to balance revenue and retention. Given the broad set 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 bandit models and large-scale neural network models.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to understand their needs, to align the models’ outputs with company objectives.
• Participate in and help drive strategic product and business decision‑making as a member of the Monetization leadership group.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in machine learning, particularly in LLMs and bandits, 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, bandits, computer vision, 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 manage and inspire a team.
• Deep understanding of machine learning concepts, frameworks, and best practices.

Salary Range

$220,800—$331,200 USD

Benefits

Take a peek at how we care for our employees' holistic well‑being with our benefits here.

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.