Forward Deployed Researcher

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Forward Deployed Researcher based in the United States.

This role serves as a technical research partner to AI labs and enterprise teams working on advanced AI systems.

You will work directly with customers to design and deliver AI evaluation, human data, and research projects from initial scoping through completion.

The position combines research expertise, applied machine learning, rapid prototyping, and customer-facing problem solving.

You will develop evaluation methodologies, data collection strategies, quality frameworks, validation systems, and other bespoke research solutions.

The role also provides an opportunity to identify recurring customer needs and translate research insights into new product and platform capabilities.

You will collaborate closely with research, engineering, product, services, and account teams while communicating complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.

This is a remote, mission-driven environment focused on advancing AI through high-quality human data, evaluation, and responsible research.

Accountabilities:

• Serve as the technical research partner for AI labs and enterprise AI teams during customer engagements.
• Advise customers on AI evaluation methodologies, human data collection, model assessment, and research strategy.
• Design and prototype bespoke solutions for evaluation methodology, rubric development, data collection, and quality frameworks.
• Develop verifiers, validation frameworks, AI-assisted workflows, and reinforcement learning environments where appropriate.
• Own research methodology and delivery across projects, from initial scoping through completion.
• Work closely with the services team to translate customer objectives into practical research engagements.
• Build trusted relationships with customer research, engineering, and technical teams.
• Communicate research findings and methodology recommendations in ways that are actionable for customer teams.
• Collaborate with Services and Account teams to qualify opportunities and contribute to proposals.
• Identify recurring patterns and needs across customer projects that could inform future platform capabilities.
• Partner with Product and Engineering teams to translate research insights into roadmap priorities and practical solutions.
• Share research and technical learnings across the broader Research Engineering organization.
• Contribute to research publications, external collaborations, and industry-facing initiatives when relevant.
• Collaborate with product teams to turn emerging research findings into usable applications and capabilities.
• Mentor colleagues on advanced AI concepts, evaluation techniques, and emerging research practices.
• Help customers navigate complex human feedback, alignment, and AI evaluation challenges.
• Contribute to the evolution of approaches for understanding, evaluating, and improving AI systems through high-quality human data.

• 3 years of experience in AI/ML research, research engineering, applied machine learning, or a closely related field.
• Strong knowledge of LLM evaluation methodologies and approaches to assessing model performance.
• Experience designing data collection methodologies and human feedback systems.
• Understanding of how human judgment can be incorporated into AI evaluation and development workflows.
• Experience designing AI-assisted or model-in-the-loop workflows.
• Ability to identify creative opportunities where AI can augment human judgment and research processes.
• Demonstrated track record of executing research or applied AI/ML projects with clear, measurable outcomes.
• Strong prototyping skills and the ability to build tooling or technical…