Research Engineer / Research Scientist, Pre-training

Senior Research Engineer / Research Scientist role in Zurich, focusing on pre-training for next-generation multimodal large language models. The position combines research and engineering to advance safe, steerable AI systems.

This role is part of the Pre-training team in Zurich, dedicated to developing the next generation of large language models with multimodal capabilities. It sits at the intersection of advanced research and practical engineering, contributing to AI systems that are safe, steerable, and trustworthy.

Responsibilities

• Carry out research and develop solutions in areas including model architecture, algorithms, data processing, and optimizer development
• Lead small research projects independently while collaborating with others on larger team efforts
• Design, execute, and evaluate scientific experiments to deepen understanding of large language models
• Improve and scale training infrastructure for greater efficiency and reliability
• Create and enhance development tools to boost team productivity
• Contribute across the entire technical stack, from low-level optimizations to high-level model design

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s or PhD preferred, in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field
• Strong software engineering skills with experience building complex systems
• Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks
• Experience with high-performance, large-scale machine learning systems, especially in language modeling
• Familiarity with ML Accelerators, Kubernetes, and large-scale data processing
• Strong problem-solving abilities and a focus on results
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively

Nice to have

• Extensive software engineering experience
• Ability to balance research objectives with engineering practicalities
• Willingness to take on additional tasks to support team goals
• Enjoyment of pair programming and collaborative development
• Interest in expanding knowledge in machine learning research
• Enthusiasm for working in an organization that functions as a unified team on large-scale AI research
• Ambition for advancing AI safety and long-term progress in AI

What the company offers

• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Optional equity donation matching
• Generous vacation and extended parental leave
• Flexible working hours
• Well-designed office space conducive to collaboration

About the company

Anthropic aims to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems that are safe and beneficial. The company operates as a unified team focused on impactful, large-scale research, treating AI research as an empirical science similar to physics and biology. Collaboration is central, with frequent research discussions and a commitment to diverse perspectives and representation.

• Focus on creating safe, interpretable, and steerable AI systems
• Team functions as a single, cohesive unit pursuing large-scale research goals
• AI research approached as an empirical science
• Highly collaborative environment with regular research discussions
• Values diverse perspectives and strives for representation, especially from underrepresented groups