2024-11-12T16:19:17-05:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
Senior Research Scientist, X
Software Engineering
Mountain View, CA

About the team:

You'll join a team at X that provides world-class computational support to the many different projects, ideas and experiments at the Moonshot Factory. You'll work directly with teams across X to share expert machine learning expertise, advice and hands-on implementation -- from early concept through launch and supporting prototyping, experimentation, technical development and more.

About the role:

Our engineers and scientists help projects run better experiments faster.  They co-found projects, provide technical leadership, execute experiments and provide advisory support.  As a member of the team, you have a deep passion for problem solving and experimentation. Our engineers often also have a deep domain expertise in fields like physics, computer science, biology, cognitive science. You’ll be expected to: 

  • Design and execute experiments that are laser-focused on testable hypotheses and yield real-world impact
  • Propose and expertly use the right tools for the job from machine learning, optimization, and statistical tools
  • Balance trade-offs between precision of real-world learnings, robustness, simplicity, and scale. 
  • Master and deploy large-scale Alphabet systems, frameworks for distributed computing, serving, and model training 
  • Engage cross-functionally with leadership, strategy, product, etc.
  • Be a thoughtful engineer on the key decisions on software architecture, technology roadmap, and execution of the project.
  • See through projects from conception to finished product, and meet both technical and product needs.
  • Mentor team members and vendor members.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Cognitive Science, Linguistics or related field, or equivalent practical experience
  • 8 years of experience in machine learning and data science
  • Track record of scientific contributions 

 Preferred Qualifications:

  • PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Math, Cognitive Science, Linguistics or related field
  • Strong publication record with work published in competitive venues (NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, CogSci)
  • High level of expertise in machine learning
  • High level of expertise in data science, Bayesian and frequentist statistics, and experimental design
  • Domain expertise in language modeling, (self)(un)supervised learning 
  • Deployment expertise with LLMs, Reinforcement Learning, Sequence Learning and Transformers
  • Willing to work in a fast-paced, start-up-like environment; Fast learner who can think through and adapt to new problems quickly
  • Strong team player with excellent verbal and written communication skills

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $161,000 - $250,000 + bonus + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, or benefits.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: [email protected].

Apply Now

Fields marked with * are required

Resume/CV*
Cover Letter
This position is located in Mountain View, CA. Are you able to commute to the office and/or are you willing to relocate?*
Are you currently or were you previously an Alphabet employee, contractor, or intern?*
Application consent for X

By clicking the “I Accept” button you expressly give your consent for the collection and use of your information as described at https://www.google.com/about/careers/privacy/.  I consent to the processing of my information as described in that policy including that, in limited circumstances, my information may be shared with trusted third parties to assist in certain phases of the hiring process (such as conducting background checks).

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305 Page 1 of 1 OMB Control Number 1250-0005 Expires 04/30/2026
Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Disability Status

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Veteran Status

Voluntary Self-Identification


For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in X, the moonshot factory’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race
Gender
Something went wrong. Please try again later.

Thank you for applying to X, the moonshot factory!

Your application has been received. We appreciate your interest in the open roles at X. Our team will review your materials and if there is a fit, a member of our team will contact you with more information.

X, a division of Google LLC. All rights reserved.