Contextual AI Research Scientist

Reality Labs Research (RL-R) unites an industry-leading team of researchers, developers, and engineers to advance AR and VR technologies. The Surreal research group at RL-R is seeking an Research Scientist (IC6) with proven experience in agentic AI to tackle challenges in machine perception and Contextual AI. You will play a pivotal role in developing research devices and algorithms that understand the world from a human’s perspective, laying the foundation for future AR glasses and immersive experiences. As an IC6 Research Scientist, you will drive the design, analysis, and optimization of Contextual AI algorithms for Project Aria and related prototypes. You will collaborate across disciplines to push the boundaries of computer vision, multimodal AI, and real-time systems, with a focus on low-power, on-device, and distributed processing.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of Contextual AI algorithms for next-generation AR devices, including Project Aria prototypes
• Design, analyze, and optimize real-time computer vision and machine learning algorithms across heterogeneous compute platforms (custom Meta SoCs, mobile, and cloud)
• Translate cutting-edge research ideas into efficient, scalable implementations through algorithm and model adaptation
• Characterize and tune models for device-specific use cases, optimizing for low power, low latency, and limited memory
• Architect and optimize Contextual AI systems spanning glasses, mobile devices, and cloud-based processing chains
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams of scientists and engineers, making architectural trade-offs to deliver multimodal contextual AI solutions
• Mentor and influence engineers and researchers in a collaborative environment
• Communicate complex technical concepts and research findings clearly to broad audiences
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies and research, embracing ambiguity and driving innovation in real-time Contextual AI

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience
• Extensive experience leading and delivering solutions in core Computer Vision and multimodal AI
• Proven track record in low-latency, server-side systems and distributed processing
• Demonstrated experience to plan and execute multi-year research roadmaps, aligning short-term projects with long-term vision
• Experience mentoring and influencing engineers and researchers across organizations
• 10+ years deploying foundational research into machine learning products
• Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Expertise in Computer Vision, Robotics, Sensor Fusion, or Machine Learning
• Experience technically leading teams of ML and software engineers, owning the full model lifecycle from research to deployment
• Track record of shipping computer vision or image processing products to millions of users, or initiating new product lines
• Experience in rapid prototyping of systems spanning devices and backend services
• Background in embedded or real-time systems
• Publication record in relevant fields

$184,000/year to $257,000/year + bonus + equity + benefits