Sr Lead AI Research Scientist, AI Foundations at Upwork

This role is designed for a high-level AI expert with a PhD and a proven track record of publishing at premier conferences like NeurIPS or ICML. You are the ideal candidate if you possess deep technical mastery of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, yet enjoy the "startup-like" environment of building production-grade models from the ground up. You should be comfortable moving from theoretical ideation to hands-on Python/PyTorch implementation. This is a high-impact leadership position within the AI Foundations team, where you will shape the strategy for "Uma," the company’s flagship AI. You won't just be doing research in a vacuum; you’ll be solving critical real-world problems like model hallucinations and uncertainty while mentoring junior researchers. A unique aspect of this role is the initial employment via a partner while a new Toronto hub is established, eventually transitioning into the core organization. **You might be a good fit if you...** * Have a PhD and multiple first-author publications at top-tier AI/ML conferences. * Are an expert in LLM reliability, synthetic data generation, or agentic workflows. * Want to balance independent research with cross-functional product impact. * Thrive in a "wear many hats" culture and enjoy mentoring technical teams.