AI Applied Research Lead

Happyrobot builds AI agents to automate phone calls in the logistics industry. From simple check calls with truck drivers, to contract price negotiations between enterprises, our AI agents are able to provide and gather information more efficiently than other alternatives. We believe that voice will become a much more prevalent interface for digital systems, and we're building the tools to make that possible. HappyRobot is a platform to build and deploy **AI workers that automate communication.

**Our AI workers connect to any system or data source to handle phone calls, email, messages…

We target the logistics industry which relies heavily on communication to book, check on, & pay for freight. Primarily working with freight brokers, 3PLs, freight forwarders, shippers, warehouses, & other supply chain enterprises and tech startups.

We raised a Series A round from a16z and YC and we’re growing very fast.

We're looking for rockstars with a relentless drive, unstoppable energy, and a true passion for building something great.

**About The Role

**We’re looking for an AI Applied Research Lead to drive innovation and lead the development of cutting-edge voice AI systems. You’ll work at the intersection of research and production, shaping the future of our AI capabilities while ensuring business impact.

What You’ll Do Lead applied research initiatives to improve NLU, speech synthesis, and voice interaction models Evaluate and fine-tune LLMs, ASR, and TTS systems for high-performance production use Manage and mentor a team of applied researchers and ML engineers Collaborate closely with engineering to bring models into real-time, production-grade systems Identify research trends and emerging technologies to inform product roadmap Drive experimentation frameworks, performance evaluation, and data strategy Foster a culture of innovation, speed, and scientific rigor Lead applied research initiatives to improve NLU, speech synthesis, and voice interaction models Evaluate and fine-tune LLMs, ASR, and TTS systems for high-performance production use Manage and mentor a team of applied researchers and ML engineers Collaborate closely with engineering to bring models into real-time, production-grade systems Identify research trends and emerging technologies to inform product roadmap Drive experimentation frameworks, performance evaluation, and data strategy Foster a culture of innovation, speed, and scientific rigor What We’re Looking For PhD or MS in Machine Learning, NLP, Speech Processing, or a related field 5+ years of experience in applied research roles, including 2+ years managing or mentoring technical teams Deep knowledge of transformer-based architectures and experience with LLMs Strong programming skills in Python and experience with ML libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face) Demonstrated ability to lead projects from research to production Excellent communication skills and a collaborative leadership style PhD or MS in Machine Learning, NLP, Speech Processing, or a related field 5+ years of experience in applied research roles, including 2+ years managing or mentoring technical teams Deep knowledge of transformer-based architectures and experience with LLMs Strong programming skills in Python and experience with ML libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face) Demonstrated ability to lead projects from research to production Excellent communication skills and a collaborative leadership style Why join us? Opportunity to work at a high-growth AI startup, backed by top investors. Fast Growth - Backed by a16z and YC, on track for double-digit ARR. Ownership & Autonomy - Take full ownership of projects and ship fast. Top-Tier Compensation - Competitive salary + equity in a high-growth startup. Comprehensive Benefits - Healthcare, dental, vision coverage. Work With the Best - Join a world-class team of engineers and builders Opportunity to work at a high-growth AI startup, backed by top investors. Fast Growth - Backed by a16z and YC, on track for double-digit ARR. Ownership & Autonomy - Take full ownership of projects and ship fast. Top-Tier Compensation - Competitive salary + equity in a high-growth startup. Comprehensive Benefits - Healthcare, dental, vision coverage. Work With the Best - Join a world-class team of engineers and builders JavaScript, TypeScript, Node.js, Kubernetes, Rust, Python, PyTorch, LLM training & finetuning.