Remote Principal AI Research Scientist: Lead Breakthroughs

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Research funding

Conference opportunities

Health benefits

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Research Scientist for a remote-first role. You will drive cutting-edge research across deep learning, NLP, computer vision, or reinforcement learning, publish in top venues, and mentor researchers while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

The role demands a Ph.D., 8+ years of AI research experience, a strong publication record, and deep expertise in at least one AI domain.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, ML or related field with AI research focus.
• Minimum of 8 years of post-doctoral or industry AI research experience.
• Outstanding publication record in top AI conferences/journals.
• Deep expertise in at least one major AI area (DL, NLP, CV, RL).
• Proficiency in Python and ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch).
• Proven track record leading research projects and mentoring researchers.

Responsibilities

• Conduct novel and high-impact AI research.
• Develop and implement state-of-the-art AI algorithms and models.
• Publish findings in leading AI conferences/journals.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to productionize research prototypes.
• Mentor junior AI researchers and engineers.
• Define research roadmaps and identify emerging AI trends.
• Present ideas to technical and executive audiences.
• Contribute to IP portfolio through patents.
• Foster innovation and scientific rigor within the team.
• Engage with the broader AI research community.

Skills

Research leadership

Mentoring

Excellent communication

Publication track record

Independent work

Education

PhD in Computer Science/AI

Tools

Python

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Principal AI Research Scientist for a remote-first role. You will drive cutting-edge research across deep learning, NLP, computer vision, or reinforcement learning, publish in top venues, and mentor researchers while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

The role demands a Ph.D., 8+ years of AI research experience, a strong publication record, and deep expertise in at least one AI domain.