K
Research Scientist
Accepting applicationskadence · San Francisco Bay Area
Full-Time Mid_senior AIMachine Learningaiatemachine learning
Posted
1d ago
Category
Test
Experience
Mid_senior
Country
United States
Founding Research Scientist
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a research-driven, high-impact role for ML researchers who want to push the boundaries of real-time AI. As a Founding Machine Learning Researcher, you’ll focus on advancing model capabilities for human-like voice agents operating in complex, real-world environments.
You’ll explore new approaches across LLMs and audio models, design novel evaluation methods, and prototype systems that improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality. Your work will directly influence production systems, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world deployment. If you’re excited about solving open-ended ML problems, experimenting rapidly, and shaping how voice AI systems think and perform, this is a unique opportunity to do so at scale
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Research & Experimentation – Explore and develop new techniques across LLMs and audio models to improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality in real-time systems
Model Prototyping – Rapidly build and iterate on experimental models and pipelines, turning research ideas into working prototypes
Evaluation & Benchmarking – Design novel evaluation frameworks, datasets, and metrics to measure performance on complex, real-world voice tasks
Bridge Research to Production – Collaborate closely with engineering to translate research insights into deployable systems
Human Feedback Loops – Develop methods to incorporate human evaluation into model improvement, especially for subjective conversational quality
Advance the Frontier – Stay at the cutting edge of ML research and bring new ideas into Retell’s product and infrastructure
YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF YOU
Strong ML Research Background – You’ve worked on advanced ML problems (for example: LLM pre-training and post training, transcription model training, text to speech model training, or multimodal systems), either in industry or academia
Deep Technical Foundation – Comfortable with PyTorch, model architectures, and the math behind modern machine learning
Experimental Mindset – You enjoy exploring open-ended problems and iterating quickly on ideas
Bridging Theory & Practice – You can translate research into systems that work in real-world environments
Startup-Ready – You thrive in fast-paced environments with high ownership and ambiguity
Collaborative & Clear Communicator – You can explain complex ideas and work cross-functionally to drive impact
JOB DETAILS
Cash: $225,000 - $400,000 base salary
Equity: Offers Equity
Location: Redwood City, CA, US (100% Relocation Provided)
US Visas: Open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H1B/H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas
OTHER BENEFITS
100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance
$70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited meals and snacks
$200/month wellness reimbursement
$300/month commuter reimbursement
$75/month phone bill reimbursement
$50/month internet reimbursement
COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options, no negotiation needed
Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile)
High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, significant equity
Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not past salaries
Show more Show less
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a research-driven, high-impact role for ML researchers who want to push the boundaries of real-time AI. As a Founding Machine Learning Researcher, you’ll focus on advancing model capabilities for human-like voice agents operating in complex, real-world environments.
You’ll explore new approaches across LLMs and audio models, design novel evaluation methods, and prototype systems that improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality. Your work will directly influence production systems, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world deployment. If you’re excited about solving open-ended ML problems, experimenting rapidly, and shaping how voice AI systems think and perform, this is a unique opportunity to do so at scale
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Research & Experimentation – Explore and develop new techniques across LLMs and audio models to improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality in real-time systems
Model Prototyping – Rapidly build and iterate on experimental models and pipelines, turning research ideas into working prototypes
Evaluation & Benchmarking – Design novel evaluation frameworks, datasets, and metrics to measure performance on complex, real-world voice tasks
Bridge Research to Production – Collaborate closely with engineering to translate research insights into deployable systems
Human Feedback Loops – Develop methods to incorporate human evaluation into model improvement, especially for subjective conversational quality
Advance the Frontier – Stay at the cutting edge of ML research and bring new ideas into Retell’s product and infrastructure
YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF YOU
Strong ML Research Background – You’ve worked on advanced ML problems (for example: LLM pre-training and post training, transcription model training, text to speech model training, or multimodal systems), either in industry or academia
Deep Technical Foundation – Comfortable with PyTorch, model architectures, and the math behind modern machine learning
Experimental Mindset – You enjoy exploring open-ended problems and iterating quickly on ideas
Bridging Theory & Practice – You can translate research into systems that work in real-world environments
Startup-Ready – You thrive in fast-paced environments with high ownership and ambiguity
Collaborative & Clear Communicator – You can explain complex ideas and work cross-functionally to drive impact
JOB DETAILS
Cash: $225,000 - $400,000 base salary
Equity: Offers Equity
Location: Redwood City, CA, US (100% Relocation Provided)
US Visas: Open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H1B/H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas
OTHER BENEFITS
100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance
$70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited meals and snacks
$200/month wellness reimbursement
$300/month commuter reimbursement
$75/month phone bill reimbursement
$50/month internet reimbursement
COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options, no negotiation needed
Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile)
High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, significant equity
Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not past salaries
Show more Show less