Staff Research Scientist, AdTech Product Innovation

Are you ready to revolutionize the advertising industry? 

At Cognitiv, we are not just another AdTech company-we are industry trailblazers redefining media buying with our Deep Learning Advertising Platform. Since 2015, we have harnessed the power of cutting-edge deep learning technology and data science to transform how brands connect with their customers. Our mission? To bring intelligence to advertising and deliver unparalleled precision, relevance, and impact at scale. 

With our innovative platform, advertisers enjoy unprecedented flexibility-whether it is activating Dynamic Deals through their preferred DSP, leveraging our managed service DSP, or utilizing our industry-first ContextGPT product. As a part of Cognitiv, you will be at the forefront of AI-driven advertising solutions, driving change and achieving remarkable growth in a rapidly evolving industry.

Now, we’re growing!

The Role

We are looking for a Staff Research Scientist to join Cognitiv’s New Initiatives team - the group responsible for turning emerging AI research into entirely new product lines. This team built AudienceGPT, ContextGPT (now in its second generation), AI Personas, and the user embedding systems underneath all of them. Work coming out of this team regularly becomes a company product announcement.

This is not a conventional research role. It sits at the intersection of deep technical research, product intuition, and industry foresight. You won’t be handed a well-scoped problem - you’ll need to spot the opportunity, prove it out technically, and carry it from idea to shipped product. We’re looking for someone who thinks like a builder and a product person as much as a researcher: someone who knows the AdTech and LLM landscape well enough to see where it’s headed, and can generate, prototype, and validate ideas most people wouldn’t think to try.

Location: This position is based in either our Bellevue WA office or San Mateo, CA office with a hybrid schedule of 3 days in office (Mon/Tue/Wed) and 2 days remote (Thu/Fri).

What You'll Do

• Generate Product Ideas. Track the AdTech, programmatic, and LLM landscape closely enough to spot real product opportunities before they're obvious - then make the case for them.
• Prototype Fast. Turn a raw idea into a working proof of concept quickly, using LLMs, embeddings, and applied deep learning to test whether it actually holds up.
• Own It End to End. Take validated ideas from research prototype through to production-ready systems, working closely with engineering to ship them - not just hand off a paper or a notebook.
• Push Context, Persona, and Embedding Research Forward. Extend the modeling that powers AudienceGPT, ContextGPT, and AI Personas, and explore what the next generation of these systems should be.
• Shape the Story. Partner with product and marketing to translate technical work into the narrative behind a launch - this team's output regularly becomes a public product announcement.
• Stay Ahead of the Industry. Maintain a deep, current understanding of AdTech, real-time bidding, and where LLM-driven advertising products are going, and bring that thinking back into the roadmap.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally. Work closely with research, engineering, product, and executive stakeholders to pressure-test ideas and get them to market.

Who You Are

• Product-Minded Researcher: Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Statistics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with 7+ years of experience in ML R&D or applied ML - paired with genuine curiosity about product and a bias toward shipping.
• AdTech Industry Fluency: Deep understanding of the AdTech, programmatic advertising, and RTB landscape - not just where it is today, but where it's headed next.
• Idea Generator: A track record of originating ideas, not just executing on someone else’s spec. Comfortable operating with little direction and turning ambiguity into a concrete plan.
• A Shipped 0-to-1 Product. Experience taking a product from idea to launch, in a startup, incubator, or new-initiatives-style team.
• Deep Learning & LLM Expertise: Strong technical expertise in PyTorch, transformers, and LLMs, including large-scale training, fine-tuning, and optimization.
• Engineering Excellence: Strong Python fundamentals and software engineering practice; experience building models for real-time, high-throughput systems.
• Communicator & Storyteller: Able to explain technical work clearly to non-technical audiences - this team’s work often becomes the centerpiece of a public product announcement.
• Bias to Action & Initiative: Proactively identifies problems and opportunities and takes ownership without waiting to be told
• Collaborative: Strong written and verbal communication skills, comfortable working across research, engineering, and product in a fast-paced environment.

Bonus Points If You Have

• Public Technical Voice. Experience being the technical face of a launch - blog posts, talks, demos, or press.
• Research & Community Impact. A track record of published research or meaningful contributions to the ML community.

Salary:

• Bellevue: $200,000 - $270,000 USD Base Salary + Equity
• San Mateo: $220,000 - $300,000 USD Base Salary + Equity

What We Offer

Compensation is based on experience, skills, and other factors. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards at Cognitiv-you’ll also receive equity and a comprehensive benefits package.

Highlights include:

• Medical, Dental and Vision plan for US employees & Extended Health Benefits for Canadian employees
• 12 weeks paid parental leave + 4 weeks WFH
• Unlimited PTO + Work-From-Anywhere August
• Career development with clear advancement paths
• Equity for all employees
• Hybrid work model & daily team lunch
• Health & wellness stipend + cell phone reimbursement
• 401(k) & RRSP with employer match
• Parking (CA, WA, Vancouver offices) & pre-tax commuter benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Comprehensive onboarding (Cognitiv University)
• …and more!

What You’ll Find at Cognitiv

• Festiv - We make work fun with cross-team games, events, and creative team bonding.
• Responsiv - You’ll be close to clients and leadership, influencing real outcomes.
• Inclusiv - Diversity and individuality are celebrated across all levels.
• Inventiv - We reward curiosity and embrace bold ideas.
• Transformativ - We support your growth with training, mentorship, and flexibility.
• Collaborativ - We operate across coasts, connected by purpose and teamwork.

Cognitiv is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all.

Note on AI Use: Cognitiv may use AI technology to assist with certain administrative aspects of the hiring process, such as note-taking, interview documentation, and reporting. However, every resume and application is reviewed directly by our recruiting team. AI tools are used solely for operational support and do not influence candidate evaluation or hiring decisions.