2026 PhD Residency - Operations Research and Optimization (Early Stage Project)
How you will make 10x impact:
General description: An operations research and optimization specialist with experience in machine learning for industrial engineering, system engineering and/or chemical engineering
- Collaborate with the X Project team to design and develop operations research approaches/algorithms to support the project's mission
- Understand the project’s goals and challenges and conduct relevant literature surveys.
- Create modeling and optimization approaches for industrial systems.
- Design and evaluate models for simulated and real-world systems.
- Engage with the Intern community during the program, engaging with the X community, attending colloquia and tech talks.
This project aims to push the limits of science and modeling as we know them and to prove how ML can radically accelerate our understanding of the world
- Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
- Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
- Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability
Throughout your AI Residency you can expect:
- To be embedded into one of our confidential or public X projects
- To get paid competitively and receive benefits
- To be a part of a lively community of AI and ML Residents
- To attend tech-talks with AI leaders from across X
What you should have:
- Currently enrolled in a PhD program in a STEM field such as operations research, applied mathematics or industrial process engineering with a strong interest in machine learning.
- Strong experience with one or more general purpose programming languages such as Python, C/C++.
- Experience in industrial optimization, as in industrial engineering, chemical engineering, or system engineering is desired.
- A deep understanding of stochastic modeling or combinatorial optimization methods.
It’d be great if you also had these:
- Open-source projects that demonstrate relevant skills and/or publications in relevant conferences and journals.
- Proficiency in machine learning, operation research, or high-performance computing frameworks and libraries.
- Familiarity with machine learning data science tools (e.g. Vertex AI, OpenAI Platform, or Antropic Console).
- Familiarity with Bayesian optimization and stochastic processes.
Additional public information:
https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video
The US base salary range for this position is $109,000 - $157,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in a PhD program in STEM field
- Strong experience with general-purpose programming languages
- Experience in industrial optimization
- Deep understanding of stochastic modeling or combinatorial optimization
X, The Moonshot Factory Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about X, The Moonshot Factory and has not been reviewed or approved by X, The Moonshot Factory.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered competitive for core technical and senior roles, with employer-posted ranges and clear statements that total compensation includes base, bonus, equity, and benefits. Feedback suggests posted bands and explicit structure provide clarity on how pay is constructed.
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Parental & Family Support — Family support is described as generous, including paid parental leave, baby bonding, and transitional support for parents returning to work. Fertility treatments and maternity care are also covered, indicating depth in family-focused provisions.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a 401(k) with a notable company match and immediate vesting of matched funds. Additional financial supports such as student loan reimbursement and coaching strengthen long-term financial security.
X, The Moonshot Factory Insights
What We Do
We create breakthrough technologies to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Born at Google, we got our start creating self-driving cars and smart glasses. Since then, we’ve continued to bring sci-fi ideas into reality.
