Industry R&D
VP, Research
Scale AI
San Francisco, CA +1
Description
As the leading data and evaluation partner for frontier AI companies, Scale is dedicated to advancing the progress of generative AI, with a focus around frontier evaluations, the science of data around posttraining, agentic applications, trustworthy agents oversight framework and beyond. Our Research teams work with the industry’s leading AI labs to provide high quality data and accelerate progress in GenAI research. Additionally, Scale plays an integral role in understanding the capabilities and safeguarding of LLMs. Scale Labs is Scale's frontier research effort dedicated to tackling the challenging research problems in evaluation, agents, post-training, reasoning, safety and alignment of advanced AI systems. The SPRL team is a new effort focused on safety and policy research to bridge the gap between AI research and global policymakers to make informed, scientific decisions about AI risks and capabilities.
We’re looking for a VP of Research to lead this charge. This is a critical leadership role where you will blend cutting-edge research with real-world applied ML impact and build a world-class research organization that expands that capabilities of frontier AI systems and develops safeguards to deploy them responsibly.
You will shape the technical direction of Scale’s ML research, translate science into production-ready solutions, and partner with go-to-market, delivery, engineering, and customers to ensure our work defines the next era of AI. You’ll lead with vision and clarity, execute with urgency, and grow with intention.
What you'll do:
- Lead the ML Research function, responsible for delivery, quality, performance, and roadmap execution
- Build and scale a global high-performing team, with an emphasis on initiative ownership and ML excellence
- Partner directly with Fortune 100 customers and the GTM team to translate business needs into scalable technical solutions
- Collaborate with engineering, product, and delivery teams across Scale to drive cutting edge research
- Shape the long-term vision and org design of the ML Research team, aligned with business growth and product evolution
- Manage and mentor senior ML Research leaders and instill a culture of accountability, speed, and results
- Make rigorous tradeoffs across technical and business dimensions, backed by financial insight and operational understanding
- Represent ML Research in cross-functional planning cycles, including headcount, budget, and strategic initiatives
We're looking for someone who:
- Has a strong track record of leading ML Research teams in high-growth environments, ideally in ML, infrastructure, or complex systems
- Has scaled research organizations across geographies and understands how to structure and evolve teams effectively
- Operates with urgency and clarity—able to distill priorities and move teams from ambiguity to execution
- Has experience partnering deeply with sales, delivery, and customer success teams
- Is equally comfortable in the weeds and at the executive level; knows when to lead from the front and when to empower others
- Brings credibility and curiosity in core technical areas—especially product engineering, infrastructure, or AI agent systems
Compensation packages at Scale for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position and may be inclusive of several career levels at Scale; it will be determined during the interview process based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Scale employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process, and confirm whether the hired role will be eligible for equity grant. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additionally, this role may be eligible for additional benefits such as a commuter stipend.
PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.
About Us:
At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high-quality data and full-stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Ernst & Young, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc., the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.
We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, gender identity or Veteran status.
We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation in the application or recruiting process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@scale.com. Please see the United States Department of Labor's Know Your Rights poster for additional information.
We comply with the United States Department of Labor's Pay Transparency provision.
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