Research and development engineer jobs in San Francisco, CA - 10,333 jobs

About the Team The Scaling team is responsible for the architectural and engineering backbone of OpenAI's infrastructure. We design and deliver advanced systems that support the deployment and operation of cutting‑edge AI models. Our work spans system software, networking, platform architecture, fleet‑level monitoring, and performance optimization. As part of the Stargate initiative, the Industrial Compute team's mission is to build and operate the foundation that powers our research and products. To deliver on this mission, there is a critical need for advanced lab infrastructure and capabilities to perform rapid prototyping, targeted and end‑to‑end testing, and system qualification across the full software and hardware stack to ensure readiness and stability for fast and smooth deployment of our large‑scale clusters. About the Role We are seeking an experienced engineer to lead advanced R&D, rapid prototyping, and build‑out of in‑house lab infrastructure to support system bring‑up, testing, and qualification for next‑generation systems. In this role, you will: You will work closely with the research, fleet, silicon, hardware health, and external vendors and partners to accelerate system qualification, increase deployment velocity, and improve platform and fleet robustness at scale. You will focus on detailed evaluation and systematic testing of early hardware, including servers, racks, NICs, switches, chips, optics, transceivers, and other lab prototype equipment. Your engineering work will span a broad range of software (systems, firmware, RDMA, collectives, cluster provisioning, orchestration, etc.) and/or hardware solutions (e.g., FPGA development) to manage lab infrastructure, support bring‑up activities and perform extensive characterizations of new hardware through microbenchmarking, fault injection, impairment modelling, localized stress testing, and end‑to‑end evaluations. This role is based in San Francisco, CA or Seattle, WA. We use a hybrid work model of 3 days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees. You might thrive in this role if you: Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related field Strong background in system architecture, large‑scale distributed systems and AI/HPC networking expertise (high performance multipath transport protocols, RDMA, RoCE, Infiniband) 5+ years of software development experience in C/C++ and Python Experience developing and running large‑scale distributed AI workloads Hands‑on lab experience with datacenter hardware (racks, servers, switches, NICs, accelerators, etc.) Experience with low‑level software and/or FPGA hardware development (e.g., firmware or RTL) About OpenAI OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general‑purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be created with safety and human needs at its core, and to achieve our mission, we must encompass and value the many different perspectives, voices, and experiences that form the full spectrum of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. For additional information, please see OpenAI's affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy statement. Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US‑based candidates. For unincorporated Los Angeles County workers: we reasonably believe that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: protect computer hardware entrusted to you from theft, loss or damage; return all computer hardware in your possession (including the data contained therein) upon termination of employment or end of assignment; and maintain the confidentiality of proprietary, confidential, and non‑public information. In addition, job duties require access to secure and protected information technology systems and related data security obligations. To notify OpenAI that you believe this job posting is non‑compliant, please submit a report through this form. No response will be provided to inquiries unrelated to job posting compliance. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made via this link. OpenAI Global Applicant Privacy Policy At OpenAI, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help people solve immense global challenges, and we want the upside of AI to be widely shared. Join us in shaping the future of technology. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A leading AI company in San Francisco is seeking a Robotics Researcher to contribute to applied research and ML pipeline development. The ideal candidate has a PhD in Machine Learning or Robotics and 3+ years of relevant experience, excelling in collaboration and communication. This full-time role offers a competitive salary range of $218,400 - $273,000 USD and equity options, along with comprehensive benefits. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Employment Type Full time Department R&D AI Science Compensation IC4 Estimated salary commensurate with experience. $235K • Offers Equity IC5 Estimated salary commensurate with experience. $258K • Offers Equity Our Compensation Philosophy: Market-based: Our formula ensures new hires earn at or above real-time benchmarks. Ownership: Our generous equity program ensures new hires are owners, not just employees. Transparent: We openly discuss salary expectations to avoid surprises later in the process. Data-driven: We use objective data to remove bias and ensure consistency in compensation decisions. About Alembic Alembic is where top engineers are solving marketing's hardest problem: proving what actually works. If you're looking for frontier technical challenges at an applied science company, this is the place. At Alembic, we're not just building software-we're decoding the chaos of modern marketing. Join Alembic to build trusted systems that Fortune 100 companies use to make multimillion-dollar decisions. We're backed by leading tech luminaries including WndrCo (founded by DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg), Jensen Huang, Joe Montana, and many more. About the Role We're looking for an Applied Scientist who solves hard mathematical problems in marketing attribution through both algorithmic innovation and production-quality implementation. You'll design novel approaches to measurement challenges, implement them as production systems, and work directly with customers to ensure statistical rigor at enterprise scale. This role is ideal for someone who wants to apply deep technical expertise to real-world problems-shipping code that makes a difference, not just publishing papers. What You'll Do Design and implement novel approaches to marketing measurement problems, shipping working code Build production systems for causal inference that maintain statistical rigor at enterprise scale Develop algorithms that are both mathematically sound and computationally efficient Collaborate with customers to understand their measurement challenges and develop technical solutions Create tools and libraries that enable both internal teams and customers to leverage advanced analytics Document research and implementation decisions for reproducibility and knowledge transfer What Will Help You Succeed Applied Science & Engineering 5+ years developing and shipping research code in production environments Strong mathematical background - statistics, probability, optimization, causal inference Proficient Python developer - can write production-quality code, not just notebooks Causal inference expertise - practical experience applying causal methods to real problems Data-intensive systems - experience processing and analyzing large datasets Research to production - track record of turning research ideas into shipping features Communication skills - can explain complex technical concepts to varied audiences Domain & Advanced Skills MS or PhD with significant applied research experience Background in econometrics, statistics, or computational social science Experience in marketing analytics, A/B testing, or measurement domains Understanding of ML engineering and MLOps practices Ability to work directly with customers on technical problems Experience with both Bayesian and frequentist statistical methods Nice to Haves Published applied research or technical writing Experience in consulting or customer-facing technical roles Background in operations research or decision sciences Familiarity with GPU computing and performance optimization Understanding of privacy-preserving analytics and differential privacy Why You Might Be Excited About Alembic Hard problems with real impact: You'll tackle the hardest challenges in marketing analytics while building systems that influence multimillion-dollar decisions at Fortune 100 companies Technical autonomy: You want ownership over technical decisions and the freedom to solve complex problems your way Cutting-edge technology: Work with advanced AI/ML algorithms, composite AI solutions, private NVIDIA DGX clusters, and the latest in data processing at scale Elite team: Join top engineers who thrive on challenging problems and high-impact work Startup upside: Early-stage equity opportunity with experienced leadership and proven product-market fit Why You Might Not Be Excited If you only want to tell people what to build instead of building and coding alongside them, we're not the environment for you You prefer company practices with 100% built-out process for every detail You prefer static over dynamic. Projects, priorities, and roles will adapt to your skill set and goals. Though we have real paying customers and a playbook for growth, we proudly remain an early-stage startup Compensation Range: $235K - $258K #J-18808-Ljbffr

Meta Platforms, Inc. (Meta), formerly known as Facebook Inc., builds technologies that help people connect, find communities, and grow businesses. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps and services like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward immersive experiences like augmented and virtual reality to help build the next evolution in social technology. To apply, click “Apply to Job” online on this web page. Optical Engineer Responsibilities: Collaborate with Meta engineers on the next generation optical communication technology with a particular focus on the testing of optical modules and subsystems for Data Center applications. Work in a collaborative environment across Meta teams including SW, Thermal, Mechanical, and EE. Develop test and simulation methodologies relevant for next-generation, high-speed optical technologies. Develop automation practices and solutions for lab testing. Lead new optical communication NPI programs, working closely with optics vendors and ODMs. Interface with the industry and contribute to the RFI/RFP process for optical solutions. Communicate complex optical hardware requirements to non-experts both internally and to industry-facing stakeholders. Minimum Qualifications: Master's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics, or a related field and 3 years of experience in the job offered or in a computer-related occupation Requires 3 years of experience in the following: Imaging optics for both photographic and computer vision applications Both sequential and non-sequential optical design software (e.g. Zemax, Code V, LightTools, FRED and/or ASAP) Image quality evaluation, imaging sensor operation and characterization, stray light modeling and analysis, camera module or lens testing and characterization, imaging and illumination optics design and manufacturing Theoretical analysis using MATLAB, Python or similar programs Statistical analysis using MATLAB Public Compensation: $181,390/year to $189,200/year + bonus + equity + benefits Industry: Internet Equal Opportunity: Meta is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and affirmative action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Meta participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Please note that Meta may leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies in connection with applications for employment. Meta is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at accommodations-ext@fb.com. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A cutting-edge semiconductor startup in San Francisco is seeking an experienced electron optics engineer to design and prototype precision beam transport systems for semiconductor tooling. Ideal candidates have extensive hands-on experience with electron or ion beam systems and a solid understanding of charged particle optics. The role offers a competitive salary ranging from $125,000 to $188,000, along with generous equity and benefits package, including health insurance and paid time off. #J-18808-Ljbffr

About Commonwealth Fusion Systems: Commonwealth Fusion Systems is on a mission to deliver the urgent transition to fusion energy. Combining decades of research, top talent, and new technologies, we're designing and building commercially viable fusion power plants. And working with policymakers and suppliers to build the energy industry of the future. We're in the best position to make it happen. Since 2018, we've raised nearly $3 billion in capital, making us the largest and leading private fusion company in the world. Now we're looking for more thinkers, doers, builders, and makers to join us. People who'll bring new perspectives, solve tough problems, and thrive as part of a team. If that's you and this role fits, we want to hear from you. Principal Mechanical Engineer We're looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our R&D and equipment design team to help build the next generation of thin‑film deposition technology. The Principal Mechanical Engineer will be responsible for the design and implementation of advanced R&D equipment and complex machinery. This role requires strong technical expertise, procedural discipline, and the ability to collaborate across engineering and technology functions to ensure safe, reliable, and high‑performance equipment. If you enjoy working on complex design problems, mentoring others, and solving problems in a collaborative, fast‑paced environment, this is your opportunity to make an impact. What you'll do: Lead the design and implementation of advanced R&D equipment for thin‑film processing, including ownership of key mechanical modules and sub‑systems Define system level requirements and drive innovative design concepts to meet these requirements Lead design reviews for overall mechanical system and key mechanical subsystems Generate and maintain interfaces with other engineering subsystems Report on and be accountable for project progress to stakeholders Work effectively within a multi‑disciplinary team of top scientists and engineers Mentor engineering staff for effectiveness and delivery of on‑time & in‑spec outcomes Get things done: drive projects, consistently deliver, act with speed What we're looking for: Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field (or equivalent industrial experience) 15+ years of experience with at least 7 years of experience working as a principal mechanical design engineer or engineering team lead in a relevant context: design and implementation of R&D systems and manufacturing equipment Ability to conceive of novel solutions for complex engineering systems in challenging environments Expertise with 3D modeling; preferred experience with SolidWorks and NX Experience with COMSOL, ANSYS or other FEA tools Ability to select and qualify vendors for components or subsystems Demonstrated ability to lead in either direct or matrix structures Strong verbal and written communication skills and a dedication to high‑quality documentation Bonus points for: Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or related field (or equivalent industrial experience) Prior success building first‑of‑kind or experimental tools for material science or semiconductor R&D Familiarity in applying Semi‑S8, ASME, ACI, ASTM, and other mechanical standards to design solutions Experience with the operation of equipment in a manufacturing environment Must‑have Requirements: Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs Perform activities such as stooping, climbing, standing, or sitting for extended periods of time Dedication to safety to mitigate industrial hazards that may include heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead (Pb), high voltage, and cryogenics Willingness to travel or work required nights/weekends/on‑call occasionally $150,000 - $225,000 a year Benefits Competitive compensation with equity 12.5 Company‑wide Holidays Flexible vacation days 10 sick days Generous parental leave policy Health, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) with employer matching Professional growth opportunities Team‑building activities #LI‑Onsite At CFS, we excel in fast‑paced environments, driven by our values of integrity, execution, impact, and self‑critique. As we grow, we're eager to bring on mission‑driven folks who offer diverse perspectives and fresh ways to tackle challenges. We value diversity deeply and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer by choice. We consider all qualified applicants equally, regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, protected veteran status, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, or any other basis protected by law. This role requires compliance with U.S. laws concerning the export of controlled or protected technologies or information (collectively, “Export Control Laws #J-18808-Ljbffr

A cutting-edge AI lab in San Francisco is seeking experienced end-to-end engineers to join their small, talent-dense team. The role involves building innovative software products, enhancing user experiences, and collaborating closely with product teams. Ideal candidates should have experience with Python, Typescript, and React. Strong achievers who thrive in fast-moving environments are encouraged to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A tech startup focused on CAD intelligence is seeking a talented individual to own the creation and refinement of computational geometry features using Python and C++. You'll collaborate closely with engineers and gain insights from customers to shape the product roadmap. The role offers a generous equity package, opportunities for growth, and relocation assistance to San Francisco. Excellent communication skills and experience with reinforcement learning algorithms are required. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A cutting-edge technology company in San Francisco is seeking a Research Engineer. The role involves working on post-training and RLVR, designing experiments, and improving large language models. Ideal candidates will have a strong applied research background, coding proficiency, and an understanding of data structures and algorithms. The position requires in-person attendance five days a week and offers unique benefits including equity grants, relocation bonuses, and meal stipends. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A pioneering technology firm is looking for a high-performing individual to advance molecular machine learning using deep learning architectures. You will architect and integrate state-of-the-art models, optimize performance from code to hardware, and collaborate with scientists to develop innovations for drug discovery and material sciences. The role requires expertise in frameworks like PyTorch and JAX, deep understanding of GPU optimizations, and a passion for tackling challenging technical problems. #J-18808-Ljbffr

An innovative AI startup in San Francisco seeks a talented individual to join their team, focusing on developing personal AI models tailored to users' preferences. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in machine learning and experience with fine-tuning models. This role offers generous compensation, equity, and the opportunity to work at the forefront of AI development to ensure technology serves humanity's interests. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A pioneering engineering company in San Francisco is seeking talented research engineers to develop innovative parametric CAD tools. You will work on tasks such as generating CAD models from text and creating vector representations of 3D models. Ideal candidates possess strong backgrounds in algorithms and deep learning, and the ability to innovate. This role offers autonomy and the chance to be part of a passionate and creative team. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A pioneering AI biology firm in San Francisco is seeking an AI Engineer to develop next-generation AI models for drug discovery. You will collaborate with top talent and work on cutting-edge technology that aims to transform drug creation. Ideal candidates will have strong programming skills, experience with HPC infrastructure, and familiarity with deep learning libraries. This position offers a competitive salary, equity package, and a collaborative culture focused on impactful advancements in the healthcare field. #J-18808-Ljbffr

General Agents is an applied research lab exploring the frontiersof autonomous intelligence. Our mission is to liberate humanity from digital labor.We are a team of researchers, engineers, and operators with expertise in machinelearning, reinforcement learning, and large-scale data operations. We are building Ace , a realtime computer autopilot powered by our foundationvideo-language-action models trained on large-scale behavior data. Role Research Engineers develop and train large neural networks that power our products. You will engagewith all aspects of cutting-edge AI research and engineering, including developing novelvideo-language-action models, designing data pipelines, conducting experiments, evaluatingmodels, and enhancing our distributed training and inference infrastructure. You may be a fit if you have experience with Transformers and other sequence prediction architectures Large-scale reinforcement learning Applying Please send your resume and a brief paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing your proudest professionalachievement to ************************ . #J-18808-Ljbffr

Dora Factory is building the next generation of governance infrastructure for decentralized and real-world communities. With advanced cryptographic stacks such as MACI (Minimal Anti-Collusion Infrastructure) and anonymous MACI (aMACI), Dora Factory is a leader in privacy-preserving, tamper-resistant voting technology. By pushing the boundaries of trustless, anonymous, and autonomous governance, we're not only creating infrastructure for communities of the future, but also building new platforms for world consciousness. About the Role An aMACI - Cryptographic Research Engineer to join our research engineer team focused on advancing the MACI, anonymous MACI, and other advanced governance protocols. You will be designing and engineering novel cryptographic mechanisms that are core to collusion resistance, anonymity, and censorship-resistance in decentralized governance systems and autonomous organizations. Your work will directly contribute to the evolution of autonomous, privacy-preserving organizations. Key Responsibilities Research and develop enhancements to the MACI and aMACI protocols, with a focus on scalability, anonymity, and verifiability. Implement and test advanced cryptographic primitives (e.g., ZK-SNARKs, FHE, threshold cryptography) in autonomous systems. Collaborate with protocol engineers and product teams to integrate cryptographic innovations into real-world deployments. Conduct threat modeling and security analysis to ensure robustness against collusion, bribery, and deanonymization. Optimize cryptographic circuits and improve gas efficiency for on-chain operations. Publish findings, write documentation, and contribute to open-source codebases supporting MACI/aMACI. Stay up to date on cutting-edge cryptographic research and bring best practices to the team. Required Qualifications Bachelor's, Master's, or Ph.D. in Cryptography, Foundation Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or related fields. Experience working with libraries like Circom, Halo2, Arkworks, or gnark. Solid understanding of cryptographic protocols such as zero-knowledge proofs (e.g., SNARKs, STARKs), secure multi-party computation, and anonymous credentials. Experience implementing cryptographic systems in Rust, TypeScript, or Solidity. A strong understanding of privacy, identity, and governance challenges in decentralized systems. Preferred Qualifications Contributions to open-source cryptography repos or zero-knowledge proof systems. Prior experience with MACI or anonymous voting systems. Familiarity with Ethereum and layer-2 ecosystems, especially ZK-rollups. Familiarity with CosmosSDK and CosmosWasm. Publications or active participation in cryptography or blockchain research communities (e.g., IACR, ZK Summit, EthResearch). Familiarity with governance design, decentralized voting mechanisms, and DAOs. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Making the Metals Powering the World Solcoa exists to stabilize the western rare-earth metal supply chain-powering every fighter jet, EV, wind turbine, phone, and generator. We're among the very few companies outside China producing rare-earth metals-and the only one delivering a 100% U.S. supply of both light and heavy rare earths. Our carbon-zero process converts end-of-life magnets directly into metal, accelerating energy independence and securing one of the world's most vital resources. We are a lean, well-funded team rapidly accelerating Western rare-earth production. We're building a world-class team to solve this crisis. The Role - Research Engineer Own difficult, first-principles R&D that unlocks rare-earth metal production at scale. You will design and execute high-temperature experiments, build and operate custom rigs, extract mechanisms from data, and translate lab breakthroughs into reproducible unit operations for our demo plant. This role is deeply technical and experimental. Pyrometallurgical research: calcination, vacuum/steam distillation, carbothermic/metallothermic reduction, smelting, refining. High-temperature electrochemistry: molten-salt/molten-oxide electrolysis, cell design, anode/cathode materials, current efficiency. Nuclear engineering research: molten-salt chemistries, materials compatibility, graphite/refractory behavior, high-T gas-cooled systems. Metal processing engineering: molten metal handling/casting, powder metallurgy (atomization, pressing, sintering), heat treatment. What You'll Do Run bench/pilot experiments to quantify kinetics, transport, and equilibria. Build/operate furnace systems, vacuum/inert atmospheres, retorts/crucibles. Develop and validate PFD-level experimental flows; compute mass/energy balances; establish operating envelopes. Apply thermochemical modeling (CALPHAD/Thermo-Calc/FactSage/HSC) and phase diagrams to guide conditions and materials. Characterize feed/products with ICP-MS/OES, XRD, SEM/EDS, LECO O/N/H,; close element balances. Author rigorous documentation: SOPs, test plans, hazards analyses, data packages; present results with statistical confidence. Collaborate with machinists/technicians to fabricate fixtures; specify sensors, heaters, seals, and vacuum hardware. Enforce safety for molten metals, reactive powders, hot work, compressed gases, and magnetized materials. What You Bring Required Typically 3+ years (flexible) as a research engineer/assistant or PhD-level researcher with demonstrated research achievements (papers, patents, prototypes). Depth in at least one focus area above; strong foundation in thermodynamics, transport, reaction kinetics, and materials. Proven ability to build experimental setups, write/control test scripts, and produce decision-grade data. Hands‑on with furnaces, vacuum/inert gas systems, gloveboxes, and high‑T instrumentation; meticulous lab discipline. Data fluency (Python/MATLAB, spreadsheets); uncertainty analysis; clear, technical writing. Preferred Experience with rare-earth chemistry/metallurgy (Nd, Dy, Tb), chloride/fluoride molten salts, and contamination control. Corrosion/materials compatibility at high temperature; selection of refractories and crucible/alloy systems. Basic CAD (Fusion/SolidWorks) for fixtures; simple FEA/thermal modeling; familiarity with HAZOP/MOC culture. Compensation & Benefits Competitive base salary Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance Company‑provided lunch daily Visa sponsorship available if needed #J-18808-Ljbffr

A mission-driven AI research company is seeking a Research Engineer to bridge theoretical AI safety research with practical implementation. In this role, you will build critical infrastructure and conduct experiments on frontier AI models, making a significant impact on the future of AI safety. Ideal candidates will have 4-6 years of experience in software or ML engineering, strong Python skills, and familiarity with AI safety concepts. This position is located in San Francisco, offering a unique professional opportunity. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A pioneering AI research firm in San Francisco seeks a skilled professional to design and implement foundational AI models for multi-omics at a large scale. The role involves developing ML algorithms, optimizing performance, and creating data processing workflows, thus contributing to transformative applications in medicine and biology. Ideal candidates will have strong backgrounds in machine learning, distributed computing, and teamwork, thriving in an innovative environment focused on making a significant impact in health and research. #J-18808-Ljbffr

A dynamic tech startup in San Francisco is seeking candidates to develop AI agents for code review. The role requires strong programming skills and a background in computer science. Successful applicants will experiment with cutting-edge AI technology to enhance product performance and efficiency. This position offers the opportunity to work with an innovative team and address complex coding standards. #J-18808-Ljbffr