AI Research Scientist, Human Behavior and Carbon Neutrality

At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Energy & Materials, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, and Robotics.

TRI’s Carbon Neutrality Department within our Human-Centered AI (HCAI) Division blends behavioral science, human-computer interaction research, and machine learning to understand, predict, and enable carbon neutral behavior.

We are looking for an AI research scientist with expertise in and enthusiasm for machine learning research (e.g., foundation models, including training and fine-tuning on large, industrial-scale datasets). This researcher would work at the intersection of social science and generative AI, training and fine-tuning models representing human behaviors and cognitive processes, such as changes in beliefs and preferences over time. For an example of our research in this vein, please see here.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with specialists in multiple fields, as well as university partners, to research and develop technology that uses generative AI to understand human behavior and preferences
• Conduct daring research that integrates behavioral science concepts with machine learning methods to push the boundaries of knowledge and the state of the art in Human-Centered AI, including multi-modal models and time-varying language models
• Stay current on the state-of-the-art in Machine Learning theories, practice, and software
• Collaborate with scientists in the Carbon Neutrality Department to shape and craft our research program and to communicate research to Toyota collaborators
• Publish findings in academic journals and/or conferences
• Contribute to technology transfer of research throughout Toyota

• PhD in computer science, machine learning, computational social science, or related field
• 3 years of experience and shown ability in ML research or related projects
• Experience with transformer models (e.g., language, vision), diffusion models, or multimodal models
• Skilled with fine-tuning approaches (e.g., LoRA)
• Experience in human-centered research (e.g. behavioral data science, computational social science, human-computer interaction), including qualitative and/or quantitative methods such as experiments and user studies
• Broad knowledge of machine learning approaches and theory
• Work collaboratively across subject areas and functions
• Top-tier project management skills and desire to work on challenging open-ended research projects
• Proven track record of working autonomously while soliciting feedback
• Strong interpersonal skills and great teammate
• Strong data science skills with proficiency in Python
• Proficiency in other big data languages and tools for cloud environments (e.g. Databricks, SQL, PySpark)
• Heavy interest in research to facilitate carbon neutrality
• Ability to communicate complex concepts clearly across different audiences

• Experience with time series modeling and data analysis
• Ability to balance multiple projects, including short-term, targeted analyses and novel, innovative projects that may span several years

The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $165,760 and $248,640/year for California-based roles; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Note that TRI offers a generous benefits package (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave) and an annual cash bonus structure. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.

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TRI is fueled by a diverse and inclusive community of people with unique backgrounds, education and life experiences. We are dedicated to fostering an innovative and collaborative environment by living the values that are an essential part of our culture. We believe diversity makes us stronger and are proud to provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all, without regard to an applicant’s race, color, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, religion, marital status, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state or local laws.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment.