Zyphra

Research Engineer - Agency and Reasoning at Zyphra (San Francisco, CA)

Zyphra· San Francisco, CA·

Role details

Work type
Onsite
Employment
Full-Time

Job description

ZYPHRA IS AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPANY BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

THE ROLE

As a Research Engineer - Agency and Reasoning, you will be a core contributor to Zyphra’s Agency and Reasoning Team. You will be involved with performing novel research in reinforcement learning, post-training, and human preference learning, and applying your ideas at scale to our next generation of language models.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR / REQUIREMENTS:

  • Strong research taste and intuition
  • The ability to work through a research project from conception to execution to write-up
  • Strong implementation and prototyping skillset
  • A researcher who can take an idea from conception to experimentation extremely quickly
  • The ability to work well and cooperate with others in a high-paced research setting
  • Curiosity, interest, and joy in understanding intelligence.

QUALIFICATIONS / ADDITIONAL SKILLS

  • Experience and aptitude with reinforcement learning, either in the context of language model reasoning or more classical RL tasks
  • Experience with language-model-supervised fine-tuning and preference-learning methods, such as DPO and simPO.
  • Experience with context-length extension methods
  • A good intuitive ability to understand model behaviors and correct them through iterative fine-tuning
  • Interest in grappling in detail with data and spending significant time involved in data engineering and synthetic data generation
  • Postgraduate degree in a scientific subject (Computer Science, EE/EECS, Mathematics, Physics)
  • Previously published machine learning research in well-respected venues
  • Highly proficient with PyTorch and Python
  • We are excited and able to rapidly learn new fields and implement new ideas
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills, and can work effectively on both research and engineering implementation at scale

WHY WORK AT ZYPHRA

  • Our research methodology is to make grounded, methodical steps toward ambitious goals. Both deep research and engineering excellence are equally valued
  • We strongly value new and crazy ideas and are very willing to bet big on new ideas
  • We move as quickly as we can; we aim to minimize the bar to impact as low as possible
  • We all enjoy what we do and love discussing AI

BENEFITS AND PERKS

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA plans
  • Competitive compensation and 401(k) plan
  • Relocation and immigration support on a case-by-case basis
  • In-office snacks and meals provided
  • Unlimited PTO and company holidays
  • In-person team in San Francisco with a collaborative, high-energy environment

Why work at Zyphra

  • Culture of open research: Employees contribute to novel model architectures that are publicly released, offering a rare blend of academic freedom and product impact.
  • Heavy engineering focus: 57% of the team is in technical roles, with a flat structure (62% specialist-level roles).
  • Locations: San Francisco (HQ) and London, with potential for remote-friendly roles (not explicitly stated).
  • Notable perks: Not detailed publicly, but typical for a well-funded Series A startup (equity, benefits, etc.).
  • Growth trajectory: 150%+ headcount growth signals rapid scaling and career advancement opportunities.

Application questions