Principal AI Research Scientist - NLP

Placements24; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 300,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work

Health insurance

Professional development budget

Unlimited paid time off

Retirement plan

Research infrastructure access

Conference support

Team-building events

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Principal AI Research Scientist (NLP) to lead cutting-edge NLP research from a remote global team. You will mentor scientists, drive research agendas, and publish in top venues while translating advances into practical AI features for products.

The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration, and a track record of groundbreaking NLP work across LLMs, transformers, and generation, with flexibility for a remote, fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• PhD with strong NLP focus and extensive publication record.
• Deep learning NLP architectures experience (Transformers, BERT, GPT).
• Proficiency in Python; experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed training.
• Proven ability to lead research projects and mentor staff.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead NLP research initiatives in LLMs, transformers, NLU, NLG, and sentiment analysis.
• Design, implement, and benchmark novel NLP algorithms and models.
• Publish findings at top AI conferences and journals.
• Mentor junior researchers and engineers.
• Collaborate with product teams to translate research into features.
• Define objectives and manage projects end-to-end.
• Stay updated with global NLP/AI advances.
• Contribute to IP via patents/publications.
• Represent the company at conferences and workshops.

Skills

NLP expertise

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Distributed training

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Collaboration

Remote work adaptation

Education

PhD in Computer Science / AI / Computational Linguistics

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a global leader at the forefront of AI & Emerging Technologies, is seeking a highly distinguished Principal AI Research Scientist specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) to join their elite, fully remote research team. This senior role is designed for an individual with a proven track record of groundbreaking research and a passion for advancing the capabilities of language understanding and generation through AI. You will lead significant research initiatives, mentor other scientists, and contribute to the strategic direction of NLP at our client. This remote-first position offers unparalleled flexibility and the opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in AI from around the world. **Polokwane** serves as a key administrative hub, though the role is entirely remote.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cutting-edge research in Natural Language Processing (NLP), including areas like LLMs, transformers, NLU, NLG, and sentiment analysis.
• Design, develop, and implement novel NLP algorithms and models.
• Publish research findings in top-tier AI conferences and journals.
• Mentor and guide junior research scientists and engineers.
• Collaborate with product teams to translate research breakthroughs into innovative AI features.
• Define research objectives and methodologies, and manage research projects from inception to completion.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in NLP and AI research globally.
• Evaluate and benchmark the performance of NLP models and systems.
• Contribute to the intellectual property portfolio through patents and publications.
• Represent the company at industry conferences and workshops.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computational Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field with a strong NLP focus.
• Extensive publication record in leading NLP and AI venues (e.g., ACL, EMNLP, NeurIPS, ICML).
• Deep expertise in deep learning architectures for NLP (e.g., Transformers, BERT, GPT).
• Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience with large-scale data processing and distributed training environments.
• Proven ability to lead research projects and mentor technical talent.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to thrive in a remote, fast-paced, and intellectually stimulating research environment.
• Experience with ethical AI considerations in NLP is a plus.
• Strong understanding of machine learning fundamentals.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and significant performance-based equity.
• Fully remote work arrangement with flexible hours.
• Top-tier health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous professional development budget for conferences, courses, and research materials.
• Unlimited paid time off.
• Contribution to home office setup and ongoing operational costs.
• Access to world-class research infrastructure and datasets.
• 401(k) or equivalent retirement plan with generous company match.
• Opportunities to shape the future of AI at a leading company.
• Regular virtual team-building events and offsites.