We are seeking a Machine Learning (ML) Manager to join our growing team dedicated to a novel AI safety agenda. In this role, you will join the group tasked with designing and implementing innovative ML models using the Scientist AI approach developed by Yoshua Bengio.
As both a people manager and technical leader, you will guide research team members and spearhead complex projects within a matrix structure. You will bridge the gap between cutting-edge scientific theory and large-scale engineering execution.
People management
- Lead, mentor and inspire a team of mission-minded and highly skilled ML research scientists and engineers.
- Partner with other leaders and talent acquisition to scale the organization. Drive technical hiring, active sourcing, interviewing, and onboarding to accelerate our research velocity.
- Coach technical team members to help them do their best work and develop new skills, while ensuring a high quality, supportive employee experience.
- Lead with humility to cultivate an inclusive, collaborative and intellectually rigorous environment.
- Display managerial courage as needed to continue fostering a healthy and productive work environment as we scale.
Technical leadership
- Guide cross-functional project teams tackling complex, sometimes unchartered, scientific and engineering challenges within an evolving matrix structure.
- Manage and optimize research workflows to ensure rigorous, reproducible results at the frontier model scale.
- Advocate for our research agenda internally and externally, maintaining momentum to achieve breakthroughs and overcome complex technical roadblocks.
- Collaborate within and across projects, bridging theoretical concepts and advanced engineering.
Required skills and qualifications
Background & experience
- PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Mathematics).
- 10+ years experience in machine learning / deep learning
- 5+ years experience leading projects and people
- Experience leading machine learning / deep learning research projects
- Experience in foundation models
Role fit
- Strong alignment with LawZero’s existing research agenda.
- Note: We highly recommend that interested candidates read into the Scientist AI framework before confirming interest.
- Advanced oral and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex scientific concepts for diverse audiences.
- Resilience and advanced problem-solving skills when facing ambiguous or unmapped technical challenges.
- Proven ability to push the boundaries of our research while fostering a sustainable, healthy work environment for your team.
What we offer
- The chance to contribute meaningfully to a globally critical initiative
- Comprehensive health benefits (including mental health and wellness management account)
- 20 days of vacation per year upon start
- Employer contribution of 4% to your retirement savings, with no required employee match
- Additional compensation totaling 8% of your salary to apply towards additional retirement savings or bonuses (independent of group and individual performance)
- A team of passionate world-class experts in their field
- A collaborative and inclusive work environment in our vibrant office space in the heart of Little Italy, in the trendy Mile-Ex district, close to public transportation
About LawZero
LawZero is a non-profit organization committed to advancing research and creating technical solutions that enable safe-by-design AI systems. Its scientific direction is based on new research and methods proposed by Professor Yoshua Bengio, the most cited AI researcher in the world. Based in Montreal, LawZero’s research aims to build non-agentic AI that learns primarily to understand the world rather than to act in it, giving truthful answers to questions based on transparent and externalized probabilistic reasoning. Such AI systems could be used to accelerate scientific discovery, to provide oversight for agentic AI systems, and to advance the understanding of AI risks and how to avoid them. LawZero believes that AI should be cultivated as a global public good—developed and used safely towards human flourishing. For more information, visit www.lawzero.org
You belong here
At LawZero, diversity is important to us. We value a work environment that is fair, open and respectful of differences. We welcome applications from highly qualified individuals interested in working towards our mission in a respectful, inclusive and collaborative setting.
Your personal information will be collected and processed by LawZero to evaluate your application for employment in compliance with our Privacy Policy. Under privacy laws in force in your country of residence, you may have several privacy rights, such as to request access to your personal information or to request that your personal information be rectified or erased. Details on how you can exercise your rights can be found in our Privacy Policy.
Skills Required
- PhD in a relevant field such as Computer Science or Mathematics
- 10+ years of experience in machine learning or deep learning
- 5+ years of experience leading projects and people
- Experience leading machine learning or deep learning research projects
- Experience with foundation models
- Strong alignment with LawZero's research agenda and the Scientist AI framework
- Advanced oral and written communication skills
- Resilience and advanced problem-solving skills for ambiguous technical challenges
- Ability to foster a sustainable, healthy, inclusive, and collaborative work environment
What We Do
LawZero is a Montreal-based nonprofit AI safety research organization incubated at Mila. It develops technical solutions for highly capable, safe-by-design AI systems and pursues a pathway toward advanced AI that is trustworthy, responsible, equitable, and aligned with human goals. Its work aims to make advanced AI a global public good while prioritizing safety, integrity, and truthfulness over commercial imperatives.
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