At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Energy & Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, Large Behavioral Models, and Robotics.

TRI’s Carbon Neutrality Department within our Human-Centered AI (HCAI) Division blends behavioral science, human-computer interaction research, and machine learning to understand, predict, and enable carbon neutral behavior.

We are looking for an AI research scientist with expertise in and enthusiasm for machine learning research (e.g., foundation models, including training and fine-tuning on large, industrial-scale datasets). This researcher would work at the intersection of social science and generative AI, training and fine-tuning models representing human behaviors and cognitive processes, such as changes in beliefs and preferences over time. For an example of our research in this vein, please see here.

Responsibilities

Collaborate cross-functionally with specialists in multiple fields, as well as university partners, to research and develop technology that uses generative AI to understand human behavior and preferences
Conduct daring research that integrates behavioral science concepts with machine learning methods to push the boundaries of knowledge and the state of the art in Human-Centered AI, including multi-modal models and time-varying language models
Stay current on the state-of-the-art in Machine Learning theories, practice, and software
Collaborate with scientists in the Carbon Neutrality Department to shape and craft our research program and to communicate research to Toyota collaborators
Publish findings in academic journals and/or conferences
Contribute to technology transfer of research throughout Toyota

Qualifications

PhD in computer science, machine learning, computational social science, or related field
3+ years of experience and shown ability in ML research or related projects
Experience with transformer models (e.g., language, vision), diffusion models, or multimodal models
Skilled with fine-tuning approaches (e.g., LoRA)
Experience in human-centered research (e.g. behavioral data science, computational social science, human-computer interaction), including qualitative and/or quantitative methods such as experiments and user studies
Broad knowledge of machine learning approaches and theory
Work collaboratively across subject areas and functions
Top-tier project management skills and desire to work on challenging open-ended research projects
Proven track record of working autonomously while soliciting feedback
Strong interpersonal skills and great teammate
Strong data science skills with proficiency in Python
Proficiency in other big data languages and tools for cloud environments (e.g. Databricks, SQL, PySpark)
Heavy interest in research to facilitate carbon neutrality
Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly across different audiences

Bonus Qualifications

Experience with time series modeling and data analysis
Ability to balance multiple projects, including short-term, targeted analyses and novel, innovative projects that may span several years

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $165,760 and $248,640/year for California-based roles; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Note that TRI offers a generous benefits package (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave) and an annual cash bonus structure. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

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