What the role involves
Prolific is not just another player in the AI space – we are the architects of the human data infrastructure that's reshaping the landscape of AI development. In a world where foundational AI technologies are increasingly commoditized, it's the quality and diversity of human-generated data that truly differentiates products and models.
The Role
We're seeking a Research Engineer to conduct innovative research in key AI areas including evaluation methodologies (particularly those grounded in human data), alignment techniques, and synthetic data generation. You'll bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and practical applications, helping to translate research insights into valuable products and services. As part of our commitment to contribute to the wider AI community, you'll be involved in writing papers that advance the field. Your work will directly impact how we understand, evaluate, and improve AI systems through high-quality human data.
What You’ll Be Doing
Research & Innovation
Lead independent research projects in AI evaluation methodologies, alignment techniques, and synthetic data generation
Design and implement novel evaluation frameworks for LLMs and agent systems that are grounded in human data
Contribute to the academic AI community through publications and open-source contributions
Stay at the forefront of AI research and pioneer innovative approaches to tackle pressing open challenges in the field
Technical Implementation
Design and conduct rigorous experiments to study AI models and systems with sound methodological approaches
Develop scalable frameworks for systematic evaluation of model behaviours and capabilities
Create tools and frameworks that transform research insights into practical applications
Build infrastructure to support large-scale research experiments when needed
Apply knowledge of model fine-tuning, optimization techniques, distillation, and other ML engineering practices to support research goals
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with ML engineers, data scientists, and product teams to translate research insights into practical applications
Mentor team members on advanced AI concepts and emerging research directions
Communicate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders
What You’ll Bring
5+ years of engineering experience with significant AI/ML focus
Demonstrated research experience through publications, open-source contributions, or impactful projects
Strong engineering fundamentals and experience implementing AI systems in production environments
Deep knowledge of LLM evaluation methodologies, alignment techniques, and model optimization approaches
Experience with model fine-tuning, adapters, quantization, and distillation frameworks
Self-motivation and ability to define and pursue research directions independently
Excellent understanding of current challenges in AI safety, reliability, and alignment
Strong communication skills and ability to explain complex research concepts clearly
Passion for staying current with the rapidly evolving AI research landscape
Why Prolific is a great place to work
We've built a unique platform that connects researchers and companies with a global pool of participants, enabling the collection of high-quality, ethically sourced human behavioral data and feedback. This data is the cornerstone of developing more accurate, nuanced, and aligned AI systems.
We believe that the next leap in AI capabilities won't come solely from scaling existing models, but from integrating diverse human perspectives and behaviors into AI development. By providing this crucial human data infrastructure, Prolific is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of AI innovation – one that reflects the breath and the best of humanity.
Working for us will place you at the forefront of AI innovation, providing access to our unique human data platform and opportunities for groundbreaking research. Join us to enjoy a competitive salary, benefits, and
What they ask for
About Prolific
Prolific helps dedicated research teams to collect the very highest-quality human-powered data - at scale - using our simple-to-use platform to target and manage participants from our diverse, vetted participant pool. The truth matters: the best decisions, and biggest discoveries, are built on the highest-quality data. And with the increasing proliferation of AI, access to reliable, diverse data to develop and train AI models has never been more important. Created by researchers for researchers, Prolific was founded to provide a better way for researchers and organisations to get high-quality human data and feedback at scale for important research. Now, more than 30,000 researchers across academia and industry use Prolific to gather definitive human data and feedback from reliable, engaged and fairly-treated participants – with a new study launched every 3 minutes.
Full Prolific profile