Lead AI Research Scientist - NLP Focus

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Health, dental, vision insurance

Professional development opportunities

Remote work with global collaboration

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a visionary Lead AI Research Scientist specializing in NLP to drive innovation in LLMs, text generation, sentiment analysis, and machine translation. You will lead a global team of researchers and engineers in a remote-first environment, shaping AI products from conception to deployment.

With 5+ years in AI research and a PhD or Master’s in a related field, you will translate complex concepts into impactful solutions, mentor colleagues, and publish findings while collaborating

Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s in CS/AI/Computational Linguistics or related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on AI research with a strong NLP focus.
• Proven track record developing and deploying advanced NLP models (Transformers, BERT, GPT).

Responsibilities

• Lead cutting-edge research and development in NLP and ML.
• Design, implement and evaluate novel NLP algorithms and models.
• Develop and fine-tune large language models for various applications.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy AI models into production.
• Mentor and manage a team of AI researchers and engineers.
• Stay updated with latest research trends in AI, especially NLP.
• Publish research in top-tier conferences and journals.
• Drive innovation and contribute to the AI roadmap.

Skills

NLP research

Leadership

Python

Deep learning

Distributed training

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/AI/Computational Linguistics

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

About the Role

Our client is a trailblazing organization at the forefront of artificial intelligence and machine learning, operating with a remote-first philosophy. We are actively seeking a visionary Lead AI Research Scientist with a specialization in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join our globally distributed team. This senior position is designed for an individual passionate about driving innovation in areas such as large language models, text generation, sentiment analysis, and machine translation. You will be instrumental in shaping the future of our AI products, leading ambitious research projects from conception through to implementation. The role demands a forward-thinking mindset and the ability to translate complex theoretical concepts into practical, impactful solutions. As a leader, you will inspire and guide a talented team of AI researchers and engineers, fostering a collaborative and productive remote work environment. Your contributions will directly influence the trajectory of AI-driven advancements for our global clientele.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cutting-edge research and development in Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning.
• Design, implement, and evaluate novel NLP algorithms and models.
• Develop and fine-tune large language models (LLMs) for various applications.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to deploy AI models into production environments.
• Mentor and manage a team of AI researchers, fostering their professional growth.
• Stay updated with the latest research trends and advancements in AI, particularly NLP.
• Publish research findings in top-tier conferences and journals.
• Drive innovation and contribute to the strategic roadmap for AI development.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in AI research, with a strong focus on NLP.
• Proven track record of developing and deploying advanced NLP models (e.g., Transformers, BERT, GPT).
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Experience with distributed training and large-scale datasets.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, essential for a remote team.
• Strong understanding of machine learning principles and statistical modeling.
• Ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Benefits

• This fully remote position offers a highly competitive salary package, complete with performance bonuses and stock options.
• We provide a comprehensive benefits suite, including excellent health, dental, and vision insurance, and a generous retirement savings plan.
• The company invests heavily in employee development, offering access to online courses, professional conferences, and internal training programs.
• You will enjoy significant autonomy and flexibility in your work, with the support of a global, collaborative team.
• Our remote-first culture ensures a healthy work-life balance.
• This is an exceptional opportunity to make a significant impact in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence from anywhere.