AI Research Lead

Perplexity is seeking an exceptional AI Research Tech Lead to drive our research strategy and lead the development of our in-house Online LLMs, the Sonar models. In this leadership role, you will set the macro research direction across different modalities, mentor a team of researchers, and take advantage of our rich query/answer dataset to continue scaling our Sonar model performance and deliver the SOTA Online LLM experience to our users.ResponsibilitiesResearch Leadership & StrategyDefine and execute the macro research direction across multiple modalities, including post-training LLMs for agent trajectories and future mid-training initiativesLead strategic research planning and roadmap development to advance Sonar model capabilitiesDrive innovation in supervised and reinforcement learning techniques for query answeringCollaborate with leadership to align research priorities with product and business objectivesTeam Development & MentorshipCoach and mentor a team of AI research scientists and engineers, fostering their technical and professional growthEstablish the long-term macro research direction across the team, including our direction across different modalitiesLead hiring and onboarding of new research talentCreate a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing and innovationTechnical ExcellencePost-train SOTA LLMs on query answering using cutting-edge supervised and reinforcement learning techniquesOwn and optimize the full stack data, training, and evaluation pipelines required for LLM post-trainingDeliver Sonar models that provide SOTA query answering performanceDrive research into agent trajectories and multi-modal capabilitiesLead the technical roadmap for eventual mid-training investmentsCross-Functional CollaborationWork closely with engineering teams to integrate Sonar models into our productPartner with product teams to understand user needs and translate them into research prioritiesCollaborate with data teams to leverage our unique query/answer dataset effectivelyCommunicate research progress and findings to stakeholders across the organizationQualificationsRequiredMinimum of 5 years of experience working on relevant AI/ML projects with 3**+ years in a technical leadership role**Proven track record of leading and mentoring technical and research teamsA Computer Science graduate degree at a premier academic intitutionDeep expertise with large-scale LLMs and Deep Learning systemsStrong programming skills with versatility across multiple languages and frameworksDemonstrated ability to set technical vision and drive executionExperience with pre-training and post-training techniques (self-supervised learning along with SFT/DPO/GRPO/PPO)Self-starter with exceptional ownership mentality and ability to work in ambiguous environmentsPassion for solving challenging problems and pushing the boundaries of AI researchNice-to-havePhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related areasExperience with agent-based AI systems and multi-modal model developmentBackground in mid-training or pre-training of large language modelsPublications in top-tier AI/ML conferencesExperience in fast-paced startup environmentsTrack record of translating research into production systems