{"id":42494,"url":"https://alion.io/job/zyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures","title":"Research Engineer - Model Architectures","company":{"id":8989,"name":"Zyphra","domain":"zyphra.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/zyphra","size_band":"1-10","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"D","score":48,"open_postings":16,"ghost_share":0.875,"stale_share":0,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"}},"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":166000,"max_usd":363000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":4027},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Pre-training","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"PyTorch","optional":false},{"name":"RAG","optional":false},{"name":"Reinforcement Learning","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-03-17T03:55:50Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-03-17","last_verified_at":"2026-10-16T09:10:52Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":213,"trust":{"level":"ghost","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale","company_stale"],"days_open":213},"description":"Zyphra is an artificial intelligence company based in San Francisco, California.\nThe Role:\nAs a Research Engineer - Model Architectures, you will be a core contributor to Zyphra’s AI Architecture Research Team. This will involve designing and rigorously testing novel model architectures and training methodologies, with a focus on improving core modeling capabilities (e.g., loss per flop or loss per parameter) and addressing fundamental bottlenecks in contemporary models. You will also work extremely closely with our pre-training team, who will integrate your insights into our next-generation models.\nWhat We're Looking For / Requirements:\nStrong research taste and intuition\n\nThe ability to work through a research project from conception to execution to write-up\n\nStrong implementation and prototyping ability can take an idea from conception to experimentation extremely quickly\n\nThe ability to work well and cooperate with others in a high-paced research setting\n\nCuriosity, interest, and joy in understanding intelligence.\n\nQualifications / Additional Skills:\nPrevious experience with long-term memory, RAG/retrieval systems, dynamic/adaptive computation, and alternative approaches to credit assignment\n\nExperience with reinforcement learning, control theory, and signal processing\n\nGenerally, a joy in inventing and seriously assessing ‘crazy’ ideas, and the ability to have a unique perspective on things\n\nUnderstanding of modern training pipelines and the hardware requirements to design efficient architectures for GPU hardware\n\nStrong grasp of proper experimental methodology for running rigorous ablations and other hypothesis testing\n\nHigh proficiency with PyTorch and Python.\n\nStrong ability to jump into large pre-existing codebases and rapidly get up to speed and become productive\n\nPreviously published machine learning research in well-respected venues\n\nPostgraduate degree in a scientific subject (Computer Science, EE/EECS, Math, Physics)\n\nWhy Work at Zyphra:\nOur research methodology is to make grounded, methodical steps toward ambitious goals. Both deep research and engineering excellence are equally valued\n\nWe strongly value new and crazy ideas and are very willing to bet big on new ideas\n\nWe move as quickly as we can; we aim to minimize the bar to impact as low as possible\n\nWe all enjoy what we do and love discussing AI\n\nBenefits and Perks:\nComprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA plans\n\nCompetitive compensation and 401(k) plan\n\nRelocation and immigration support on a case-by-case basis\n\nIn-office snacks and meals provided\n\nUnlimited PTO and company holidays\n\nIn-person team in San Francisco with a collaborative, high-energy environment","description_format":"text","description_chars":2684,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":null,"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Unlimited PTO"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":["Foundation Models","AI Research Labs"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-03-17T03:55:50Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":3,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.093,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":213,"expected_fill_days":26,"reasons":["conf:1","stale_co","ghost","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-16T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/zyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/zyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-16T10:29:07Z","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":8857,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-17T00:00:00Z"}},"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":8989},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=8989"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fzyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures"},{"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%2Fzyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures"},{"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%2Fzyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures"},{"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/zyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fzyphra-research-engineer-model-architectures"}]}