Member of Technical Staff

About the role

Join a small, driven team focused on engineering excellence to build AI systems that understand the universe and advance human knowledge. This role is for individuals who enjoy challenging themselves and are driven by curiosity. You will contribute directly to the company's mission in a flat organizational structure. You will operate at the frontier of artificial intelligence, tackling problems where standard solutions do not yet exist. The position demands a high degree of ownership over complex systems with ambiguous outcomes. Success in this role requires a relentless focus on the intersection of model behavior and real-world performance. You will be expected to question assumptions and build robust solutions based on empirical evidence rather than precedent. This is an opportunity to shape the technical direction of critical AI initiatives from the ground up.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Tackle critical post-training and reinforcement learning challenges that define the current limits of model capability.
• Specialize in reward modeling, preference optimization (RLHF/DPO), and reinforcement learning to enhance reasoning, truthfulness, and real-world AI capabilities.
• Analyze vast datasets of model interactions to identify failure modes and extract signals for iterative improvement.
• Design and execute experiments that validate the effectiveness of alignment techniques under controlled and real-world conditions.
• Translate ambiguous research objectives into concrete engineering milestones and deliverables.
• Collaborate with researchers to prototype new training methodologies and integrate them into production pipelines.
• Evaluate the performance of AI models using quantitative metrics and qualitative analysis to guide optimization.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure that technical solutions meet operational and safety standards.
• Maintain a high standard of code quality and documentation to ensure reproducibility and maintainability.
• Contribute to the development of internal tools that streamline the workflow for data labeling, training, and evaluation.
• Mentor junior engineers by providing code reviews, technical guidance, and constructive feedback.
• Synthesize complex technical findings into clear narratives that inform strategic decisions and product direction.

Requirements

• Hold a strong belief that developing truth-seeking AI is the most crucial and demanding problem facing the field today.
• Demonstrate a deep commitment to creating highly useful models through rigorous post-training and reinforcement learning techniques.
• Possess extensive experience as a power user of AI models, with a proven track record of exploring the boundaries of reinforcement learning and alignment methods.
• Take pride in the quality of your work and thrive in merit-based environments where output and impact are the primary measures of success.
• Exhibit strong communication skills, enabling you to share intricate technical concepts clearly and concisely with both technical and non-technical teammates.
• Maintain a strong work ethic and excellent prioritization skills to manage multiple competing demands in a fast-paced setting.
• Adhere to the eligibility criteria that require compliance with the specific regulations governing employment in the location of Palo Alto, Canada.
• Commit to the full-time engagement model, which necessitates availability during standard operational hours as defined by the team's global collaboration needs.

Nice to have

• Bring prior experience with post-training, RLHF, or training models that have been deployed to serve millions of users.
• Show familiarity with the tooling and libraries commonly used in the training and evaluation of large language models.
• Highlight any background in publishing research or contributing to open-source projects related to AI safety and performance.

Practical notes

The engagement is full-time, requiring availability during standard operational hours. The position is located in Palo Alto, Canada, and candidates must be eligible to work in this region without sponsorship. International applicants must secure the necessary visa or work authorization independently, as sponsorship is not provided for this role. The compensation range is fixed between $180,000 and $600,000 USD, reflecting the total expected value for the position. This package encompasses base salary, equity grants, and comprehensive benefits including medical, vision, and dental insurance. Additional benefits include access to 401(k) plans, short-term and long-term disability coverage, and life insurance policies. Applicants are encouraged to submit complete applications before the role is filled, as the team reviews candidates on a rolling basis to secure top talent efficiently. Relocation assistance is not available for this position, and all associated costs must be managed by the candidate. The work environment is dynamic, requiring adaptability and a willingness to engage with evolving project scopes.