Research Lead / Principal Scientist & Manager Post-Training · Alignment · Reinforcement Learning Autodesk AI Lab: Toronto · Remote (CA)

Autodesk, Inc.

Job Overview

Location

4 Locations

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• Own Autodesk’s research strategy for transforming foundation models into reliable, aligned, and domain-specific systems through post-training, with focus on reinforcement learning, preference optimization, and agentic reasoning.
• Develop novel algorithms that enhance model reliability, controllability, and alignment using domain-grounded verifiers derived from physics simulations, CAD kernels, and computational design tools.
• Design and execute experiments that shape model behavior, robustness, and reasoning quality across architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, and media & entertainment workflows.
• Partner with infrastructure teams to build scalable, reproducible post-training workflows that integrate reinforcement learning signals from physical laws and engineering constraints rather than relying solely on human preference data.
• Design evaluation frameworks for long-horizon reasoning, tool use, agentic behavior, safety, and real-world workflow completion, establishing trusted metrics and model readiness criteria.
• Lead rigorous model analysis and interpretability efforts to identify technical risks, limitations, and trade-offs, and communicate them clearly to leadership and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of AI scientists, fostering a culture grounded in scientific rigor, reproducibility, and fast iteration.
• Set technical direction and research priorities across post-training and alignment initiatives, ensuring alignment with product teams, pre-training research, and engineering infrastructure.
• Contribute directly to research by running experiments, developing new algorithms, and publishing at top-tier venues including NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, and SIGGRAPH.
• Help recruit world-class talent in machine learning, reinforcement learning, alignment, and foundation models to expand the AI Lab’s research capabilities.
• Translate complex technical trade-offs into decision-ready guidance for leadership, influencing model release go/no-go decisions and long-term research investment.
• Drive external research visibility through publications, patents, and collaborations with leading academic and industry labs to position Autodesk AI Lab as a frontier contributor to AI research.
• Ensure post-trained models demonstrate measurable improvements in reliability, alignment, reasoning quality, and domain usefulness within the first year of leadership.
• Build and maintain trusted evaluation systems adopted across teams, enabling consistent assessment of model performance in high-precision professional workflows.
• Support team members’ growth into independent researchers while maintaining hands-on technical contribution to core research projects.
• Leverage Autodesk’s unique assets — decades of investment in physics engines and computational design tools — to create distinctive post-training research opportunities not available in most AI labs.

🎯 Requirements

• Deep hands-on expertise in reinforcement learning for foundation models and fluency with post-training methods (RLHF, RLAIF, DPO, PPO, or adjacent approaches)
• Proven experience leading or mentoring technical research teams in academic, industry, or AI research organization settings
• PhD or equivalent depth of industry research experience in ML, RL, AI, or a related field
• Strong intuition for model behavior, alignment challenges, and post-training trade-offs
• Experience designing evaluation systems and thinking rigorously about model readiness criteria
• Ability to communicate complex technical trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences

🏖️ Benefits

• Direct line from research advances to product impact at scale across Autodesk’s global product portfolio
• Opportunity to publish at top-tier AI venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, SIGGRAPH)
• Access to unique domain-grounded verifiers from physics simulation engines and CAD kernels for reinforcement learning
• Collaborative environment with leading academic and industry research labs
• Inclusive, equal opportunity workplace culture with global belonging initiatives
• Compensation package includes annual cash bonuses, stock grants, and comprehensive benefits

Skills & Technologies

Senior

Remote

Degree Required

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Autodesk, Inc.

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About Autodesk, Inc.

Autodesk, Inc. develops professional design, engineering, and entertainment software. Its flagship products include AutoCAD, Revit, Fusion 360, Maya, and 3ds Max, serving architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, and education sectors worldwide. Founded in 1982, the company provides cloud-based subscription services enabling digital design, simulation, visualization, and collaboration across project lifecycles. Headquartered in San Rafael, California, Autodesk operates globally, empowering customers to create sustainable infrastructure, products, and digital content through integrated software platforms and emerging technologies such as generative design, additive manufacturing, and building information modeling.

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