Research Engineer - NLP
About the job
- Experience with state-of-the-art Gen AI techniques and models (e.g., LLMs, Multi-Modal, Large Vision Models) or with Gen AI-related concepts (e.g., language modeling, computer vision).
- Experience with software development in one or more programming languages (e.g. Python, C++), and with data structures/algorithms.
- Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills to address complex technical challenges.
- Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with cross functional teams.
- Ability to effectively navigate ambiguity.
- Minimum: Master’s in Computer Science, a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience
- Lead the research of technology for improving the efficiency of Large Language Model (LLM) while performing target capabilities or supporting many capabilities, such as novel architectures and improved pre-training.
- Design and implement NLP algorithms for model training and prediction, leverage ML infrastructure, and contribute to model optimization and data processing, using PyTorch or other frameworks.
- Integrate and improve LLM algorithms to work with other models such as computer vision models
- Identify defined problems/gaps in existing technology and engage other Research teams, stakeholders and leaders to expand efficient LLM technology.
- Collaborate with peers and stakeholders through design and code reviews to ensure best practices amongst available technologies.
- Write up results in design documents, technical reports, and papers for publication.
- Represent MBZUAI at industry conferences and events, showcasing the institution’s cutting-edge HPC and deep learning capabilities and establishing MBZUAI as a global leader in AI research and innovation.
- Perform all other duties as reasonably directed by the line manager that are commensurate with these functional objectives.
- PhD or equivalent research experience in Natural Language Processing
- Experience leading research efforts and influencing other researchers.
- Experience with efficiency, modularity or related topics for LLMs.
- Experience with ML infrastructure (e.g., model deployment, model evaluation, optimization, data processing, debugging).
- Experience with design and optimization of algorithms in performance constrained environments (e.g., mobile).
- Experience in innovative research, contributing to research communities including publishing in forums (e.g., ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, EACL, COLING, ICLR, AAAI, NeurIPS).
About the company
IFM builds and studies foundation models—large AI models designed to learn broadly from diverse data and be used across many tasks. Its work centers on academic research to create open, fast, and practical models that address real-world societal needs, rather than narrow applications. The models are developed by a global team across Abu Dhabi, Paris, and Silicon Valley, with a strong emphasis on openness and collaboration to advance AI science and accessibility. Unlike typical private labs that lock models behind paywalls, IFM aims to provide publicly accessible, efficient models that can be used by researchers and developers to solve real problems. The overarching goal is to push the science of foundation models forward while ensuring their benefits reach society at large.
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Headquarters
United Arab Emirates
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Get referred to Institute of Foundation Models
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- AWS, Cerebras, Nebius, Hugging Face, vLLM, and SGLang already distribute K2 Horizon.
- October 2026 benchmark chatter praises K2 Horizon's small models and 375B enterprise flagship.
- MBZUAI's October 2026 hiring surge supports rapid expansion across agents, world models, and infrastructure.
What critics are saying
- Open-sourcing K2 Horizon hands competitors reproducible recipes, shrinking IFM's moat by 2027.
- MBZUAI listed 45 IFM vacancies on October 2, 2026, signaling heavy execution strain.
- If K2 Horizon misses commercial adoption, IFM remains a prestige lab dependent on state capital.
What makes Institute of Foundation Models unique
- September 3, 2026 K2 Horizon shipped six fully open models with weights, code, and data.
- IFM offers Apache 2.0 frontier models, unlike closed labs protecting training recipes and checkpoints.
- MBZUAI-backed labs in Abu Dhabi, Silicon Valley, and Paris combine research depth with deployment access.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Vacation
Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
Employee Assistance Program
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Plan
Wellness Program
Flexible Work Hours
Remote Work Options
Hybrid Work Options
Stock Options
Company Equity
Company News
The Institute of Foundation Models has launched K2 Horizon, a fleet of six fully open-source AI models ranging from 0.9 billion to 375 billion parameters. The models include weights, code, training data, and methodologies, allowing researchers and developers to inspect and reproduce the work. The 0.9B, 3.7B, and 7B models set new benchmarks at their respective scales. The smallest model can run on watches and glasses, whilst the 3.7B and 7B models work on phones. The dense 32B model and sparse 36B model suit local hosting, and the 375B flagship model targets enterprise deployments. Launched by Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in May 2025, IFM now operates across Silicon Valley, Paris, and Abu Dhabi. The models are available through Hugging Face, vLLM, and SGLang, with API access through partners including AWS and Cerebras. All models use the Apache 2.0 licence.