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Machine Learning Engineer — AI Architecture Research

Role overview

Qualifications

  • Strong background in machine learning fundamentals and deep learning
  • Hands-on experience implementing model architectures from scratch
  • Solid understanding of attention mechanisms, RNNs, state-space models, or hybrid architectures
  • Comfortable working in PyTorch or JAX

Responsibilities

  • Research and develop new neural network architectures
  • Design and run architecture-level experiments
  • Prototype models end-to-end
  • Collaborate with inference and systems engineers to ensure architectures are deployable and efficient

Key facts

Hard skills

Other skills

  • Communication
  • Collaboration

About the company

Featherless AI logo

Featherless AI

  • AI & Machine Learning
  • 1–10
We enable serverless inference via our GPU orchestration and model load-balancing system. We unlock fine-tuning by enabling organizations to size their server fleet to throughput needs, not number of models in the catalogue. See it in action on our public cloud, which offers inference for 4,200+ open weight models.

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Job description

About the Role

We’re looking for a Machine Learning Engineer focused on AI architecture research to help design, prototype, and validate next-generation model architectures. You’ll work at the intersection of research and production — turning new ideas into scalable, real-world systems.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys questioning architectural assumptions, experimenting with novel model designs, and pushing beyond standard Transformer-style approaches.

What You’ll Work On

  • Research and develop new neural network architectures (e.g. alternatives or extensions to Transformers, recurrent / hybrid models, long-context systems)

  • Design and run architecture-level experiments (scaling laws, memory mechanisms, compute trade-offs)

  • Prototype models end-to-end — from research code to training-ready implementations

  • Collaborate with inference and systems engineers to ensure architectures are deployable and efficient

  • Analyze model behavior, failure modes, and inductive biases

  • Read, reproduce, and extend cutting-edge research papers

  • Contribute to internal research notes, benchmarks, and open-source efforts (where applicable)

What We’re Looking For

  • Strong background in machine learning fundamentals and deep learning

  • Hands-on experience implementing model architectures from scratch

  • Solid understanding of:

    • Attention mechanisms, RNNs, state-space models, or hybrid architectures

    • Training dynamics, scaling behavior, and optimization

    • Memory, latency, and compute constraints at the model level

  • Comfortable working in PyTorch or JAX

  • Ability to move fluidly between theory, experimentation, and engineering

  • Clear communicator who can explain architectural trade-offs

Nice to Have

  • Experience with non-Transformer architectures (RNN variants, SSMs, long-context models)

  • Background in research-driven startups or open-source ML projects

  • Experience with large-scale training or custom training loops

  • Publications, preprints, or notable research contributions

  • Familiarity with inference optimization and deployment constraints

Why Join

  • Work on core model architecture, not just fine-tuning

  • Direct influence on the technical direction of a Series-A company

  • Small, high-caliber team with fast feedback loops

  • Opportunity to ship research into production

  • Competitive compensation + meaningful equity

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