Description
We're seeking a Principal AI Researcher to join our Workday AI Research Team, a newly built organisation dedicated to advancing the state-of-the-art in AI to power the Agentic Enterprise.
As a technical founder and visionary, you will define the frontier of AI research and bridge the gap between groundbreaking theory and massive-scale application.
Key Responsibilities:
- Define research direction in Agentic AI and LLMs
- Advance the state of the art in agentic systems, including retrieval, grounding, memory, context, and personalisation
- Conduct foundational model research to advance Workday's proprietary capabilities in pre-training, post-training, and domain-specific alignment for HR and Finance workflows
- Publish and open-source research findings through top-tier venues and strategic releases
- Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate research into production-ready services
- Mentor and foster a culture of scientific rigor and curiosity within the research team
Requirements:
- 8+ years of experience in AI/ML research or applied science
- Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Math, Physics, or equivalent technical field
- 4+ years of experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow
- 2+ years of expertise in LLMs or VLMs, specifically in training, alignment, or agentic reasoning frameworks
- Strong history of lead-researcher publications in top AI venues or a proven track record of shipping industry-defining AI innovations
Nice to Have:
- Strong background in reinforcement learning, tool-use, or multi-agent systems
- Experience conducting research under real-world constraints, such as latency, cost-to-serve, and enterprise data privacy
- Leadership experience in building a research agenda from the ground up and leading technical strike teams through open-ended problems
- Exceptional ability to translate complex research breakthroughs into strategic value for product leaders and executive stakeholders
- Deep commitment to developing AI that is explainable, fair, and safe for the world's largest workforces
Salary: The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are: Primary Location: USA.CA.Pleasanton Primary Location Base Pay Range: $228,000 USD - $342,000 USD Additional US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $206,000 USD - $370,000 USD