Principal RL Research Scientist — Lead Breakthrough AI

Placements24; Noord-Kaap; On-site; ZAR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Conference travel funding

Computing resources

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Research Scientist (Reinforcement Learning) to lead pioneering RL research in Kimberley, Northern Cape. You will direct ambitious projects, mentor researchers, and drive collaborations that push the boundaries of AI theory and applications.

The role involves shaping long-term RL agendas, publishing in premier venues, and guiding a world-class research team in a state-of-the-art environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in a related field with RL focus.
• 10+ years of RL research with high-impact publications.
• Deep RL theory: value-based methods, policy gradients, actor-critic, exploration.
• Experience implementing RL algorithms in Python with TF/PyTorch/JAX.
• Experience with simulation environments (Gym, MuJoCo) or robotics.
• Strong analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration.
• Ability to lead independent research initiatives and mentor junior researchers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and conduct cutting-edge RL research and develop novel algorithms.
• Define and execute ambitious research projects with breakthroughs.
• Mentor a team of AI researchers and engineers.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners on advanced AI topics.
• Publish findings in top AI conferences and journals.
• Develop and prototype RL algorithms with simulations or real systems.
• Stay at the forefront of RL research and identify opportunities.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the AI research group.
• Present findings to academic peers and industry leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Problem solving

Education

PhD in CS/AI/Math with RL focus

Tools

TensorFlow

PyTorch

JAX

OpenAI Gym

MuJoCo

Python

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Research Scientist (Reinforcement Learning) to lead pioneering RL research in Kimberley, Northern Cape. You will direct ambitious projects, mentor researchers, and drive collaborations that push the boundaries of AI theory and applications.

The role involves shaping long-term RL agendas, publishing in premier venues, and guiding a world-class research team in a state-of-the-art environment.