Research Scientist

Rakuten Group, Inc. is a global leader in internet services, offering a dynamic ecosystem of over 70 services across e-commerce, FinTech, digital content, and communications. Founded in 1997, Rakuten’s mission is to empower people and society through innovation and entrepreneurship. With a vision of driving disruptive innovation globally, Rakuten integrates various services under a unified brand, supported by a unique ecosystem model that leverages data and AI. The company’s popular "Rakuten Points" program and “One ID” system enhance user engagement, providing seamless access to its diverse services. Headquartered in Japan, Rakuten has achieved 27 consecutive years of revenue growth and is recognized for fostering a diverse and inclusive corporate culture, with English as its official language since 2012. In recent years, Rakuten has focused on AI and sustainability initiatives, aiming to drive further technological advancements and achieve carbon neutrality.

Job Summary:

We are seeking an innovative and dedicated Research Scientist to join our Large Language Model (LLM) Research team. This role involves advancing our research agenda by developing new deep learning techniques and collaborating with peers across the organization. The ideal candidate will have a passion for producing groundbreaking research and will contribute to a unified vision that enhances generative AI and responsible AI deployment at scale.

We welcome exceptional researchers and engineers from other fields who may not have direct experience in generative AI to apply. This role provides an opportunity to gain the critical skills and knowledge needed to transition into the AI & ML space. We are committed to supporting career changers who bring unique perspectives and expertise, and we offer mentorship and resources to facilitate your growth in the AI and ML domains.

We are open to hire In Seattle, WA and Boston, MA.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive and execute cutting-edge research to advance the state-of-the-art in generative AI and large language models, contributing to areas such as multilingual modeling, code generation, multimodality. 

• Design and conduct experiments, including experimental design, code development, evaluations, and results analysis, ensuring research outcomes are reusable and impactful.

• Own and pursue an independent research agenda, identifying impactful research problems, designing innovative solutions, and carrying out long-running projects.

• Work collaboratively within a globally distributed research team, and foster partnerships across the organization to align on shared goals and maximize the impact of research outcomes.

• Contribute to publications, open-source projects, and knowledge-sharing efforts, enhancing the visibility and reach of research findings.

• Set ambitious long-term research goals and develop intermediate milestones to advance our understanding and capabilities in generative AI.

• Mentor junior researchers and promote a healthy, cross-functional team environment.

Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Proven experience in a research-focused role within industry, academia, or government institutions.

• Strong track record in deep learning research, with accomplishments such as first-author publications in peer-reviewed AI conferences or journals.

• Proficient in writing and executing software for large-scale AI experiments, including deep learning models and large datasets.

• Ability to speak, write, and communicate in Japanese is a plus
  

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Ph.D. in AI, computer science, or a related discipline.

• Proven experience in a research-focused role within industry, academia, or government institutions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience in generative AI and LLM research, with a focus on creating high-performance implementations of deep learning algorithms.

• 2+ years of work experience in a research position at a university, industry, or government lab.

• First author publications in leading AI conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML, ICLR, ICCV, ACL).

• Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks, with skills in developing, debugging, and optimizing research code.

• Strong interest in the ethical implications of AI technology and a thoughtful approach to responsible AI development.

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