Research Engineer

BRIEF SCHOOL / UNIT DESCRIPTION:

Foundation models like ChatGPT, PaLM, and Stable Diffusion are transforming the world around us. The Stanford Center for Research on Foundation Models (CRFM), which is part of Stanford HAI, is an interdisciplinary initiative that aims to make foundation models more reliable, transparent and accessible to the world. We take on ambitious projects that seek to rigorously evaluate existing foundation models and to build new ones.

POSITION SUMMARY:

We are currently seeking a research engineer to join our engineering team. This is an unique opportunity to work with seasoned engineers who have spent many years in industry as well as PhD students, post-docs, and faculty at CRFM. You will contribute to cutting-edge research, publish papers, gain access to the latest foundation models, and be immersed in the vibrant CRFM community.

You will work on our open source software projects, including:

• HELM, a framework for holistic evaluation of large language models 
• Levanter, a framework for transparent and accessible large-scale language model training 

This is a one-year fixed-term position, and may be extended based on programmatic need and funding availability. This position is 100% FTE and benefits-eligible. This position will be considered for an option of hybrid work arrangement, subject to operational need. For consideration, please submit curriculum vitae. 

The expected pay range for this position is $150,000 to $200,000 per annum.

Stanford University has provided a pay range representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for the position. The pay offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors including (but not limited to) the experience and qualifications of the selected candidate including equivalent years since their applicable education, field or discipline; departmental budget availability; internal equity; among other factors.

CORE DUTIES:

Duties include:

• Develop, maintain and operate our software infrastructure projects 
• Collaborate with and provide engineering expertise to PhD students, post-docs, and faculty 
• Write technical documentation for users of our open source libraries 
• Engage with community members in Stanford CRFM and the wider open source community 
• Contribute to or co-author published articles, presentations, or scientific papers

QUALIFICATIONS / MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Minimum qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field 
• Ability to build complex, maintainable software systems in Python 
• Experience with modern software development practices and tools (e.g. Git, CI/CD systems) 
• Strong written and oral technical communication skills 

Preferred qualifications: 

• Prior research experience in AI/ML 
• Prior contributions to open source software 
• Familiarity with HPC environments (e.g. CUDA, Slurm) 
• Experience with ML frameworks and libraries (e.g. JAX, PyTorch, TensorFlow, HuggingFace, DeepSpeed) 
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g. AWS, GCP, Azure) 
• Experience with distributed data processing systems (PySpark, Beam) 
• Experience with web development (e.g. Flask, Django, React)

As an organization that receives federal funding, Stanford University has a COVID-19 vaccination requirement that will apply to all university employees, including those working remotely in the United States and applicable subcontractors. To learn more about COVID policies and guidelines for Stanford University Staff, please visit https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/working-stanford/covid-19/interim-p…

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.