VP of Research (Machine Learning)

Role Summary

Our client is seeking a VP of Research (Machine Learning) to define and lead the research direction behind its AI platform. This leadership role will shape how AI systems reason, learn, evaluate, and continuously improve within a product designed for high-frequency, real-world usage.

Working closely with product and engineering leadership, this position will drive the long-term intelligence strategy, balancing cutting-edge research with practical production impact.

Experience with the following technologies is preferred

• Python
• PyTorch and/or JAX
• GPU-based model training and inference systems

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve the research roadmap for the platform's core AI intelligence, including context representation, memory, reasoning, planning, and orchestration.
• Evaluate and determine when to develop proprietary model architectures versus leveraging or adapting frontier open-source and commercial AI models.
• Design evaluation frameworks that measure real-world performance, robustness, safety, and long-term system behavior beyond traditional benchmark metrics.
• Lead the company's AI alignment, safety, and guardrail strategy as a core component of product development.
• Drive research and experimentation across advanced machine learning techniques, including:
• Retrieval-Augmented Training (RAG)
• Mixture of Experts (MoE)
• Model Distillation
• Multi-Agent Orchestration
• Multimodal AI Systems
• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to define and execute the intelligence strategy for AI-powered applications.
• Establish and maintain high standards for research quality, technical judgment, and engineering excellence across the organization.

Requirements

• Extensive experience designing, building, and deploying machine learning systems in production environments.
• Strong technical expertise in model behavior, failure analysis, system evaluation, and long-term AI performance.
• Proven ability to translate advanced research into reliable, production-ready AI solutions.
• Demonstrated experience making high-impact technical decisions in fast-moving and ambiguous environments.
• Deep understanding of AI evaluation methodologies, model robustness, safety, and system reliability.
• Strong ownership mindset with the ability to lead technical strategy and execution.
• Passion for building practical AI systems that deliver measurable real-world impact rather than focusing solely on academic research or benchmark performance.

About the Company

Our client is a stealth AI startup backed by one of Southeast Asia's leading technology companies and is currently building its global founding team.

The company is developing an AI-native communication platform designed to simplify everyday tasks by integrating AI directly into conversations. Instead of switching between multiple applications, users can plan, organize, compare, research, and complete tasks within a single intelligent assistant.

Serving a market of billions of users still relying on traditional productivity tools, the platform focuses on delivering reliable AI workflows, persistent context, multi-step reasoning, and seamless task execution. The mission is to create an AI assistant that significantly improves productivity while making everyday work simpler and more intuitive.