Founding Research Scientist
ABOUT THE ROLE
This is a research-driven, high-impact role for ML researchers who want to push the boundaries of real-time AI. As a Founding Machine Learning Researcher, you’ll focus on advancing model capabilities for human-like voice agents operating in complex, real-world environments.
You’ll explore new approaches across LLMs and audio models, design novel evaluation methods, and prototype systems that improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality. Your work will directly influence production systems, bridging cutting-edge research with real-world deployment. If you’re excited about solving open-ended ML problems, experimenting rapidly, and shaping how voice AI systems think and perform, this is a unique opportunity to do so at scale
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Research & Experimentation – Explore and develop new techniques across LLMs and audio models to improve reasoning, latency, and conversational quality in real-time systems
- Model Prototyping – Rapidly build and iterate on experimental models and pipelines, turning research ideas into working prototypes
- Evaluation & Benchmarking – Design novel evaluation frameworks, datasets, and metrics to measure performance on complex, real-world voice tasks
- Bridge Research to Production – Collaborate closely with engineering to translate research insights into deployable systems
- Human Feedback Loops – Develop methods to incorporate human evaluation into model improvement, especially for subjective conversational quality
- Advance the Frontier – Stay at the cutting edge of ML research and bring new ideas into Retell’s product and infrastructure
YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF YOU
- Strong ML Research Background – You’ve worked on advanced ML problems (for example: LLM pre-training and post training, transcription model training, text to speech model training, or multimodal systems), either in industry or academia
- Deep Technical Foundation – Comfortable with PyTorch, model architectures, and the math behind modern machine learning
- Experimental Mindset – You enjoy exploring open-ended problems and iterating quickly on ideas
- Bridging Theory & Practice – You can translate research into systems that work in real-world environments
- Startup-Ready – You thrive in fast-paced environments with high ownership and ambiguity
- Collaborative & Clear Communicator – You can explain complex ideas and work cross-functionally to drive impact
JOB DETAILS
- Cash: $225,000 - $400,000 base salary
- Equity: Offers Equity
- Location: Redwood City, CA, US (100% Relocation Provided)
- US Visas: Open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H1B/H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas
OTHER BENEFITS
- 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance
- $70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited meals and snacks
- $200/month wellness reimbursement
- $300/month commuter reimbursement
- $75/month phone bill reimbursement
- $50/month internet reimbursement
COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY
- Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options, no negotiation needed
- Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile)
- High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, significant equity
- Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not past salaries