Job Details

AI Researcher/Engineer

Location: San Francisco, CA (On-site preferred, open to remote with occasional travel)

Compensation: $250K–$275K base + equity

Sponsorship: Visa and green card sponsorship available

The Opportunity

An early-stage, mission-driven AI research startup is looking for a AI researcher/engineer to join as a foundational team member. This is a rare opportunity to work end-to-end on cutting-edge large-scale models and help drive progress toward superintelligence.

An opportunity to be razor-focused on the next frontier of artificial intelligence.

The role is highly autonomous with no rigid project assignments—ideal for someone who wants to obsessively push the boundaries of AGI and reasoning in a small, elite team

Responsibilities

• Train and scale large language models (400B+ parameters)
• Design and implement reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms for post-training optimization
• Build and optimize distributed training and inference infrastructure
• Own the full research cycle: data pipelines, experimentation, evaluation, iteration
• Collaborate tightly with founders, but work independently day-to-day
• Pursue novel ideas in alignment with a long-term vision of superintelligence

Requirements

• Experience at a frontier AI lab (e.g., DeepMind, OpenAI, Meta FAIR, Anthropic)
• Strong background in post-training techniques, especially reinforcement learning
• Hands-on experience with large language models
• PhD or Master's in ML, AI, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Ability to work independently in a fast-moving, high-trust environment

Nice to Have

• Prior founder or early startup experience
• Strong academic research track record
• Interest in open-source AI and long-term alignment

Why You Should Apply

• Extremely high autonomy and ownership from day one
• No bureaucracy or project constraints — you choose what to build and explore
• Backed by investors who are betting on scientific breakthrough, not incremental returns
• Strong belief in open-source models and democratized AI research
• Already showing performance ahead of larger players in the space

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents
• Unlimited PTO and flexible remote/on-site policies
• Company-sponsored retirement plan
• Relocation assistance, paid parental leave, and annual L&D stipend