Sr. Staff AI Research Scientist, Generative Models - Rivian and VW Group Technology

About Us:

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.  

 

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary:

We are looking for a Research Engineer specializing in Generative AI with a focus on language models or audio synthesis models. In this role, you will be a key contributor to our AI research and development efforts, working on the latest advancements in natural language processing (NLP), ASR, TTS model, model fine-tuning, model alignment, and evaluation. You will collaborate with teams to design, build, and optimize innovative solutions that push the boundaries of what AI can achieve in safe, aligned, and effective conversational applications.

Responsibilities:

●      Research and develop state-of-the-art generative AI models.

●      Design and implement strategies for model alignment with ethical and safety standards.

●      Train and fine-tune large-scale language or audio models on domain-specific datasets.

●      Design and run experiments to explore new approaches in generative modeling.

●      Manage and preprocess large datasets for enhanced model generalizability.

●      Collaborate with data scientists and ML engineers on research and development goals.

Qualifications:

●      MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, NLP, or a related field.

●      Proven experience with transformer models, NLP pipelines, and generative models in research or commercial settings.

●      Knowledge of model alignment techniques and responsible AI practices.

●      Proficiency in Python, and ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.

●      Solid understanding of machine learning and NLP fundamentals.

●      Ability to explore, prototype, and evaluate novel techniques in generative AI and alignment.

 

Preferred Qualification:

●      Experience with distributed model training and inference.

●      Experience with academic research, peer-reviewed publications, or contributions to open-source projects in the field of NLP, generative AI.

●      Familiarity with LLM fine-tuning and alignment frameworks.

●      Familiarity with VLMs and their applications in multimodal tasks is a plus.

Pay Disclosure:

Salary Range/Hourly Rate for California Based Applicants: 265,000 USD - 331,300 USD (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law).

 

Benefits Summary: Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment.

Company Statements:

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

 

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.

Candidate Data Privacy

Rivian and VW Group Technologies (“Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies”) may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. 

 

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services. 

 

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions. 

 

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.