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.

Responsibilities

Research Leadership & Strategy

• Define and execute the macro research direction across multiple modalities, including post-training LLMs for agent trajectories and future mid-training initiatives.
• Lead strategic research planning and roadmap development to advance Sonar model capabilities.
• Drive innovation in supervised and reinforcement learning techniques for query answering.
• Collaborate with leadership to align research priorities with product and business objectives.

Team Development & Mentorship

• Coach and mentor a team of AI research scientists and engineers, fostering their technical and professional growth.
• Establish the long-term macro research direction across the team, including our direction across different modalities.
• Lead hiring and onboarding of new research talent.
• Create a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing and innovation.

Technical Excellence

• Post-train SOTA LLMs on query answering using cutting-edge supervised and reinforcement learning techniques.
• Own and optimize the full stack data, training, and evaluation pipelines required for LLM post-training.
• Deliver Sonar models that provide SOTA query answering performance.
• Drive research into agent trajectories and multi-modal capabilities.
• Lead the technical roadmap for eventual mid-training investments.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with engineering teams to integrate Sonar models into our product.
• Partner with product teams to understand user needs and translate them into research priorities.
• Collaborate with data teams to leverage our unique query/answer dataset effectively.
• Communicate research progress and findings to stakeholders across the organization.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 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 teams.
• A Computer Science graduate degree at a premier academic institution.
• Deep expertise with large-scale LLMs and Deep Learning systems.
• Strong programming skills with versatility across multiple languages and frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical vision and drive execution.
• Experience 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 environments.
• Passion for solving challenging problems and pushing the boundaries of AI research.

Nice-to-have

• PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or related areas.
• Experience with agent-based AI systems and multi-modal model development.
• Background in mid-training or pre-training of large language models.
• Publications in top-tier AI/ML conferences.
• Experience in fast-paced startup environments.
• Track record of translating research into production systems.

Compensation & Benefits

Our cash compensation range for this role is $370,000 - $460,000. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above. Equity: In addition to the base salary, equity may be part of the total compensation package. Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents. Includes a 401(k) plan.