Sr. Principal / Director Applied Research Science, AI

Key Skills

Aartificial intelligence, AWS, Azure, Computer Vision (CV), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Keras software library, Large Language Models - LLMs, Machine learning techniques, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Natural Language Understanding-NLU, Oracle, Python Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow

Job Description

You will collaborate with product management and engineering stakeholders to identify key strategic opportunities for Axon AI to invest in. You will identify the research approach, assess the implementation risk and define the success metrics for multiple projects while actively providing guidance to other research scientists and machine learning engineers within the team. You will be responsible for the entire AI innovation life cycle from model prototyping to deployment and continuous learning.

The ideal candidate will have a proven scientific background and a consistent track record of successfully researching and delivering scalable AI-based products with hands-on execution as well as by mentoring other scientists. We need someone willing to be fearless and more than willing to take on bold challenges. By accelerating adoption of our technologies, you'll help protect life in public safety for both officers and the communities they serve around the world.

What You’ll Do

Location: Seattle, WA (USA) / Toronto, Ontario (Canada) / Finland / Vietnam /Remote

Reports to: SVP of AI, Imaging and Devices Software

• Operate as a thought leader and visionary, with the ability to guide, influence and inspire peak performance, innovation and adoption of AI-enabled technologies across the Axon value chain.
• Mentor and provide guidance to a world-class team of research scientists that deliver novel, strategic AI solutions with diverse, industry-leading skills in deep learning, computer vision, natural language processing and more
• Collaborate with tech and product teams on sourcing data and defining model building workflows from experimentation and implementation to deployment and continuous improvement
• Bring your industry, research expertise and deep knowledge of the state-of-the-art in your field to challenge existing assumptions and introduce new machine learning algorithms, statistical approaches and training workflows
• Lead by example by emphasizing collaborative and inclusive teamwork fostering a culture of ownership, experimentation, and innovation
• Contribute back to the research community via academic publications, tech blogs, open-source code as well as creating internal/external AI challenge
• Represent Axon at tech talk events and scientific conferences

What You Bring

• A Ph.D. Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, Applied Mathematics or an equivalent highly technical field
• 7+ years of modeling experience in one or more the following areas: Natural Language Processing/Understanding (NLP/NLU), Computer Vision (CV) and Acoustic Event Detection
• Hands on experience developing, scaling and implementing machine learning using relevant programming languages (such as Python), state of the art deep learning frameworks and big data tools
• Working knowledge of advanced ML techniques: Multi-task Learning, Transfer Learning, Reinforcement Learning as well as Unsupervised and Semi-supervised Learning

• Track record of publications and contributions to the machine learning community at large
• Experience with designing and shipping software products that leverage machine learning at scale
• Excellent problem solving skills and ability to dive into learning algorithms, model architecture, evaluation metrics, and field testing scenarios
• Comfort communicating and interacting with scientists, engineers and product managers as well as understanding and translating the science of AI and Machine Learning to a more general audience

Preferred

• 9+ years of modeling experience in the areas of NLP, CV, Sensor Fusion and Acoustic Event Detection
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with distributed machine learning and deploying models at scale in cloud environments (such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud)
• Familiarity with IoT/Edge AI and optimizing ML models to run on-device with constrained compute, power and latency budgets

Benefits that Benefit You

• Competitive salary and 401k with employer match
• Discretionary paid time off
• Paid parental leave for all
• Medical, Dental, Vision plans
• Fitness Programs
• Emotional & Mental Wellness support
• Learning & Development programs
• And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work.

The Pay: Axon is a total compensation company, meaning compensation is made up of base pay, bonus, and stock awards. The starting base pay for this role is between USD 260,000 in the lowest geographic market and USD 500,000 in the highest geographic market. The on target earnings range for this role is between USD 600,000 in the lowest geographic market and USD 1,100,000 in the highest geographic market. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, geographic market, and often a combination of all these factors. Our benefits offer an array of options to help support you physically, financially and emotionally through the big milestones and in your everyday life. To see more details on our benefits offerings please visit www.axon.com/careers/benefits.

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Axon, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to Protect Life but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Important Notes

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

Axon’s mission is to Protect Life and is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Axon’s impact on the environment. All Axon employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Axon employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.