{"id":763041,"url":"https://alion.io/job/universalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher","title":"Geophysics + Seismic Researcher","company":{"id":8996,"name":"Universalagi","domain":"universalagi.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/universalagi","size_band":"201-500","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"AI/ML","role_family":"AI/ML","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Francisco, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":158000,"max_usd":351000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":4425},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Databricks","optional":false},{"name":"Julia","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Synthetic Data","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-11T18:55:18Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-11","last_verified_at":"2026-11-02T06:33:32Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":51,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":51},"description":"San Francisco | 5 Days Onsite\nLocation: Onsite in San Francisco\nCompensation: Competitive Salary + Equity\nGeophysics + Seismic Researcher\nWho We Are\nEngineering simulation is one of the last major categories of software that AI hasn't rebuilt. The tools used to design aircraft, ships, reservoirs, and medical devices still run on numerical methods that are decades old, and an engineer can wait a full day for a single answer. UniversalAGI is building foundation models that learn physics directly from data, and they are already running in early deployments on real computational fluid dynamics and reservoir engineering problems for some of the largest industrial and defense organizations in the world.\nWe are a team of 25 researchers and engineers in San Francisco backed by Elad Gil (#1 Solo VC), Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO), Prith Banerjee (ANSYS CTO), Ion Stoica (Databricks Founder), Jared Kushner (former Senior Advisor to the President), David Patterson (Turing Award Winner), and Luis Videgaray (former Foreign and Finance Minister of Mexico).\nAbout the Role\nAs a founding Geophysics + Seismic Researcher, you'll be in the arena from day one, at the exact intersection where deep learning meets subsurface physics. This is your chance to take everything you've learned across seismic processing, interpretation, and geologic modeling and use it to build foundation AI models that transform how the energy and subsurface characterization industries work.\nYou'll work directly with the CEO and founding team to shape our product around the real pain points you've faced in your career: manual and compute-intensive seismic interpretation, slow full waveform inversion, and the disconnect between geophysical models and the petrophysical properties that actually drive decisions.\nWhat You'll Do\nDevelop novel AI architectures for subsurface physics, including transformer-based and and generative neural operators for seismic modeling, inversion, and geologic interpretation\n\nOwn research workflows end to end: synthetic data generation (procedural subsurface/geology models, forward simulation), model training, validation, and deployment\n\nApply statistics and uncertainty quantification, including Bayesian and generative modeling, to represent multiple plausible subsurface realizations rather than a single deterministic answer\n\nWork hands-on with seismic processing, full waveform inversion (FWI), and geologic modeling, and help connect velocity/density models to the petrophysical properties (porosity, permeability, lithology) that matter for reservoir and geologic decisions\n\nRun large-scale experiments on seismic and geologic datasets, iterate rapidly on model performance, and help drive the research roadmap based on what actually works\n\nCollaborate directly with domain experts and customers in energy, subsurface characterization, and related industries to understand workflows, pain points, and validation criteria\n\nPublish and present breakthrough results, internally and externally, as we push the boundaries of AI for subsurface physics\n\nMove fast and ship: take research from idea to production-ready model in weeks, not months, and see your work deployed to real customers\n\nQualifications\nPhD in Geophysics or a related engineering discipline, with extensive experience in seismic processing and interpretation\n\nStrong AI background, including models for physical systems such as FNO and Transolver\n\nExperience in statistics and uncertainty quantification; familiarity with seismic interpretation, full waveform inversion, and geologic modeling\n\nProficient in Python and ML frameworks, able to independently own workflows from synthetic data generation through model training\n\nBonus Qualifications\nPublished research in top-tier geophysics or ML venues (e.g., Geophysics, JGR, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR)\n\nExperience with generative modeling for geology (e.g., 3D subsurface realizations) and geostatistics (Gaussian processes, kriging)\n\nBackground in adjacent physical-systems or earth-science modeling domains (e.g., oceanography, geospatial science, other geophysical inversion problems)\n\nLarge-scale distributed training experience with multi-GPU or multi-node setups\n\nExperience at high-growth AI startups (Seed to Series C) or leading research labs\n\nComfortable across Python, Julia, and modern ML tooling; open-source contributions to geophysics or ML codebases\n\nForward-deployed experience working directly with customers to solve their hardest problems\n\nCultural Fit\nTechnical Respect: Ability to earn respect through hands-on technical contribution\n\nIntensity: Thrives in our unusually intense culture - willing to grind when needed\n\nCustomer Obsession: Passionate about solving real customer problems, not just cool tech\n\nDeep Work: Values long, uninterrupted periods of focused work over meetings\n\nHigh Availability: Ready to be deeply involved whenever critical issues arise\n\nCommunication: Can translate complex technical concepts to customers and team\n\nGrowth Mindset: Embraces the compounding returns of intelligence and continuous learning\n\nStartup Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, rapid change, and wearing multiple hats\n\nWork Ethic: Willing to put in the extra hours when needed to hit critical milestones\n\nTeam Player: Collaborative approach with low ego and high accountability\n\nWhat We Offer\nOpportunity to shape the technical foundation of a rapidly growing foundational AI company.\n\nWork on cutting-edge industrial AI problems in energy and subsurface characterization with immediate real-world impact.\n\nDirect collaboration with the founder & CEO and ability to influence company strategy\n\nCompetitive compensation with significant equity upside.\n\nIn-person first culture - 5 days a week in office with a team that values face-to-face collaboration.\n\nAccess to world-class investors and advisors in the AI space.\n\nBenefits\nWe provide great benefits, including:\nCompetitive compensation and equity.\n\nCompetitive health, dental, vision benefits paid by the company.\n\n401(k) plan offering.\n\nFlexible vacation.\n\nTeam Building & Fun Activities.\n\nGreat scope, ownership and impact.\n\nAI tools stipend.\n\nMonthly commute stipend.\n\nMonthly wellness / fitness stipend.\n\nDaily office lunch & dinner covered by the company.\n\nImmigration support.\n\nHow We're Different\n“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” - Teddy Roosevelt\nAt our core, we believe in being “in the arena.” We are builders, problem solvers, and risk-takers who show up every day ready to put in the work: to sweat, to struggle, and to push past our limits. We know that real progress comes with missteps, iteration, and resilience. We embrace that journey fully knowing that daring greatly is the only way to create something truly meaningful.\nIf you're ready to join the future of physics simulation, push creative boundaries, and deliver impact, UniversalAGI is the place for you.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7171,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"phd","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Continuous learning","Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Machine Learning","Simulation & Digital Twin Software","AI for Science"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-11T19:08:05Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 3","filings_12m":3,"filings_prev_12m":0,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":172500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":3}],"liveness":{"score":20,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.445,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":51,"expected_fill_days":28,"reasons":["conf:3","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-11-02T06:13:15Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/universalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/universalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-02T08:13:59Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":11462,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-03T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":8996},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=8996"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Funiversalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Funiversalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Funiversalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/universalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Funiversalagi-geophysics-seismic-researcher"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":763041}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"universalagi.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":763041},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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