Senior Researcher, Machine Learning Engineer

foundry10•Seattle, WA

5d•$191,025 - $318,375•Hybrid

About The Position

foundry10 is an education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. In collaboration with a wide range of partners, we surface, evaluate, and share opportunities to better support youth learning both inside and outside the classroom. Building on more than a decade of impactful work, our unique approach blends applied and basic research, philanthropy, and education programs rooted in evidence-based best practices. Machine Learning can provide powerful tools for enhancing learning in and outside of the classroom, and for addressing pressing needs in K-12 and post-secondary education. Senior Researcher, Machine Learning Engineer will be a core team member on a new multi-project focused ML Learning Team at foundry10. This role involves both independent research and analysis as well as multidisciplinary collaboration across a project team and potentially in partnership with external institutions. Applicants for this role should have a strong interest in education and desire to improve student outcomes across multiple dimensions. Applicants should have deep expertise in appropriate domains (Machine learning principles, software design & development, ethics and privacy), bring novel ideas and expertise, and experience-based insights. Qualified candidates will have advanced research skills (e.g., data analysis techniques, knowledge of study design, visualizing and interpreting data) and be comfortable with sharing generalizable findings using different mediums alongside peer-reviewed publications. This position reports to the Director of Research. The salary range for this position is $191,025 to $318,375 per year, depending on experience. The Machine Learning Engineering Senior Researcher will have a focus on developing tools and pursuing research within both formal and informal K-12 and postsecondary education spaces. In particular, this position will focus on contributing to a multidisciplinary team of researchers and engineers with a preliminary focus on: Exploring intersections and interplay between the strengths and gaps within the education system and ML/AI techniques and tools Considering principles and knowledge that are not being regularly utilized by traditional educational systems to broaden and shape new ideas around the intersection of learning and ML Design or repurpose tools for research pursuits, data collection, learning gains, and timely interventions Leverage strengths and knowledge in a coherent & complimentary way with other experts in a collaborative team to generate new ideas to make a positive impact on student learning

Requirements

PhD in Machine Learning or related discipline, with 2-5 years relevant post-PhD work experience
Experience with Transformer-based Models (e.g. GPT, Llama)
Practical experience independently leading and conducting applied research with minimal supervision
Experience with machine learning data structures and models, software architecture, framework, and libraries
End to End project design, execution and completion
Experience on a variety of projects with multiple stakeholders
Experience mentoring and/or managing students, junior researchers, and/or research staff
Experience with design/development of software tools, preferably for a variety of age groups
Nuanced understanding of technology in the life of kids both generally and within education contexts
Nuanced understanding of AI tools, their strengths, limitations, and the direction of development
Strong background in research ethics, particularly research ethics involving children and adolescents
Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written, in interpersonal and research settings
Ability to gain background knowledge and expertise in other fields within foundry10’s research domains and interest areas that may intersect with your projects
Proficiency with R, Python and relevant ML libraries
Ability to manage time and track several project timelines at once
Ability to work self-sufficiently and identify areas where processes could be improved
Ability to cross multiple subject areas and quickly gain a basic understanding of new areas
Ability to work collaboratively with researchers from other fields and specializations
Ability to ask questions that deviate from the status quo to pursue innovative ways to approach learning
Ability to manage and mentor junior researchers
We cannot sponsor visa applications, and to be considered for this position, you must be eligible to work in the United States.
To protect our staff, partners, and the youth we serve, we require all foundry10 employees to adhere to our masking and COVID testing policies when working in person.

Nice To Haves

Experience in both academia and industry preferred

Responsibilities

Work collaboratively within the ML project team to provide new and interesting ideas for lines of research, outputs, tool development and/or other avenues to improve learning outcomes and opportunities for young people
Collaborate to define output goals for the project team
Participate in conceiving, designing, and evaluating, ML software and related hardware
Develop predictive analytics, statistical modeling, data mining and machine learning algorithms
Assist in crafting interesting and important questions regarding education in a technologically advancing world, specifically around the intersections of ML/AI in learning spaces.
Represent foundry10 at conferences, within publications, and face-to-face with a variety of community partners
Actively read and engage with current research/techniques/technologies and bring new knowledge to the organization and their teams as a result of engagement with relevant topics
Use various qualitative and quantitative methodologies, analysis strategies, and study designs as needed to address current research questions
Make informed decisions about when to extend vs. redirect or close off lines of inquiry, depending on progress and likelihood of yielding useful and actionable insights
Lead operations and partnership tasks (e.g., coordination of external data collection services, communication with external partners) as needed

Benefits

A 4-day workweek
A flexible and hybrid work schedule
Full Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage for employees and their dependents
$1,500 yearly education stipend
$3,000 yearly wellness and hobby stipend, before taxes
Generous paid time off that includes:
4 weeks of vacation time annually and additional accrual with tenure
12 paid holidays
56 hours of paid sick and safe leave frontloaded annually
Week-long office closures twice a year - each summer and winter
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee
Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance paid fully by foundry10