AI Research Scientist (Sequential Decision Making)

Who You Are

Research Scientists at Phaidra lead our efforts in developing novel algorithmic architectures with the goal of bringing intelligent control systems to the industrial sector.

Having pioneered research in the world's leading academic and industrial labs as PhDs, post-docs, or professors, Research Scientists join Phaidra to work collaboratively within and across research fields.

Drawing on expertise from a variety of disciplines including machine learning, reinforcement learning, optimization, and causal inference, our Research Scientists are at the forefront of groundbreaking research and applying them to real-world problems.

We are seeking a team member located within one of the following areas: UK (preferred), USA, or Canada.

• In the United States, we accept applicants located in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington. 

• In Canada, we accept applicants located in the following provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with other AI researchers on applied real-world problems to demonstrate algorithmic feasibility and enhance algorithmic capabilities.

• Design and implement prediction and decision algorithms to control complex non-linear dynamic systems.

• Develop and maintain a benchmarking platform for algorithmic performance evaluation and experimental design.

• Clearly and efficiently report and present research findings and developments, both internally and externally, verbally and in writing.

• Participate in and organize ambitious collaborative research projects.

• Work with external collaborators and maintain relationships with relevant research labs and key individuals.

• Mentor and guide Research Engineers to apply research findings and developments to industrial domains.

Key Qualifications

• PhD in a technical field or equivalent practical experience, with demonstrated expertise in one of the following areas:

  • Planning

  • Reinforcement Learning

  • Optimization

• 1+ years of applied research experience.

• Strong background in software engineering, with proficiency in Python and open-source ML libraries such as Keras, TensorFlow, PyTorch, scipy, scikit-learn, numpy, pandas, and ray.

• Prior experience with research projects and contributions to open-source software.

• Alignment with our company values: curiosity, ownership, transparency & directness, outcome-based performance, and customer empathy.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Relevant experience to the position.

• A proven track record of publications.

• Experience applying AI to real-world scenarios.

Our Stack

• Python

• PyTorch, scipy

• Kubernetes, Docker, Ray

• GCP

Onboarding

In your first 30 days...

• You will be immersed in an onboarding program that introduces you to Phaidra and our product.

• You will spend time with the research team and get introduced to the different research tracks we pursue.

• You will learn how other teams operate, interact, and approach problems.

• You will read various parts of our handbook and familiarize yourself with the documentation culture at Phaidra.

• You will set up your development environment and get introduced to various parts of our codebase.

By your first 60 days...

• You will have a solid understanding of what Phaidra does and how we do it.

• You will have met with team members across Phaidra and started building relationships that will help you be successful in your role.

• You will have a good understanding of our research tracks, allowing you to form a plan for your first project or maybe even start one.

By your first 90 days...

• You will be fully integrated into the team and have strong relationships with team members across the company.

• You will have started to contribute to knowledge sharing throughout Phaidra.

• Your project will be in full swing, and you might have some early results already.

General Interview Process

All of our interviews are held via Google Meet, and an active camera connection is required.

• Meeting with People Operations team member (30 minutes)

• Initial Meeting with Hiring Manager (30 minutes)

• Meeting with Research team member (60 minutes)

• Deep Dive with Hiring Manager (60 minutes)

• Culture fit interview with Phaidra’s co-founders (30 minutes)

Base Salary

• United States Residents: 171,169 USD - 200,000 USD

• UK Residents: 108,834 GBP - 127,168 GBP

• Canada Residents: 179,063 CAD - 209,225 CAD

This position will also include equity.

These are best faith estimates of the base salary range for this position. Multiple factors such as experience, education, level, and location are taken into account when determining compensation.