Applied Researcher 4, AI Foundations, VLM Customization

Capital One

. Partner with data scientists, software engineers, machine learning engineers, and product managers to deliver AI-powered products .

Posted 10/30/2026full-timeUnited StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $218,700 - $272,300 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in building and deploying AI foundation models using PyTorch and AWS, with a strong focus on deep learning methodologies and applied research. Proven ability to translate complex AI concepts into actionable business strategies while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

PhD In Electrical EngineeringDeep Learning Model DevelopmentAI Methodologies ExpertiseExperience With PyTorchHands-On Experience With AWS

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Deep LearningMachine LearningTraining OptimizationSelf-Supervised LearningRobustnessExplainabilityRLHFData PreparationModel Fine-TuningReproducible AI Research

Soft Skills

CollaborationResearch Agenda OwnershipProblem SolvingCommunication

Tools & Technologies

PyTorchAWS UltraclustersHugging FaceLightningOpen-Source ToolsCloud Computing Platforms

Industry Keywords

Applied ResearchAI Foundation ModelsNLPLarge Language ModelsTechnical ReportsConference Submissions

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AWSCloudPyTorch

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Partner with data scientists, software engineers, machine learning engineers, and product managers to deliver AI-powered products
Use PyTorch, AWS Ultraclusters, Hugging Face, Lightning, and related technologies to analyze large volumes of numeric and textual data
Build AI foundation models through design, training, evaluation, validation, and implementation
Conduct applied research to advance AI developments into customer experiences
Translate complex research into tangible business goals
Collaborate with senior researchers on internal technical reports or conference submissions
Research and evaluate emerging technologies and state-of-the-art methods
Identify and improve solutions to undefined business and technical problems

Requirements

What you’ll need

Currently has, or is in the process of obtaining, a PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, AI, Mathematics, or related fields, with the degree obtained on or before the scheduled start date; or an M.S. in these fields plus 2 years of experience in Applied Research
Deep understanding of the foundations of AI methodologies
Experience building large deep learning models for language, images, events, or graphs
Expertise in one or more of: training optimization, self-supervised learning, robustness, explainability, or RLHF
Track record of delivering models at scale in training data and inference volumes
Experience delivering libraries, platform-level code, or solution-level code to existing products
Track record of high-quality machine learning ideas or improvements, demonstrated through accomplishments such as first-author publications or projects
Ability to own and pursue a research agenda, select impactful research problems, and autonomously carry out long-running projects
Hands-on experience developing AI foundation models and solutions using open-source tools and cloud computing platforms
Preferred: PhD in a relevant field; LLM/NLP focus or Master's with 5 years of industrial NLP research experience; relevant publications; experience training large language models; fine-tuning and model adaptation experience; experience deploying fine-tuned LLMs; data preparation and open-source contributions; reproducible AI research; controlled experiments and reproducibility documentation
Capital One will consider sponsoring a new qualified applicant for employment authorization

Benefits

Comp & perks

Performance-based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long-term incentives (LTI)
Comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive health, financial, and other benefits supporting total well-being
Reasonable accommodations for applicants who require them