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hackajob · 2 days ago

Principal Applied Research Engineer

United States

Full-time

Remote

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

5+ years exp

hackajob is collaborating with Physna to connect exceptional tech professionals for the role of Principal Applied Research Engineer. In this senior, high-impact position, you will lead the translation of advanced research ideas into production-ready systems, focusing on geometry processing and AI-assisted reasoning over physical parts.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AIHuman ResourcesRecruitingSoftware

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Defining and driving applied research initiatives across geometry processing, similarity search, embeddings, knowledge representations, and AI-assisted reasoning over physical parts

Owning the full lifecycle of research outcomes: from exploration and experimentation through validation, productionization, and long-term maintenance

Partnering closely with cross-functional leaders to align research bets with business and customer impact

Designing evaluation frameworks, benchmarks, and metrics to measure research quality, performance, and real-world value

Leading technical reviews for research-heavy initiatives and influencing architectural decisions across teams

Mentoring senior engineers and applied researchers, setting standards for rigor, clarity, and execution

Acting as a technical advisor to leadership on feasibility, tradeoffs, and timelines for research-driven capabilities

Qualification

Applied researchGeometric algorithmsSimilarity searchMachine learning systemsPythonC++Typescript/Node.jsGoSystems thinkingProduct mindsetTechnical advisingCommunicationMentoring

Required

5+ years of experience in applied research, advanced engineering, or research-driven product development

Strong background in one or more of the following: geometric algorithms, similarity search, information retrieval, computer vision, ML systems, or applied AI

Proven ability to take ambiguous research problems and turn them into practical, scalable solutions

Experience building prototypes and carrying successful ideas into production systems

Experience with modern AI/LLM tooling and how to integrate it responsibly into research and engineering workflows

Fluency in one or more production languages such as Python, C++, Typescript/Node.js, Go, or similar

Strong systems thinking: understanding how research choices affect performance, reliability, cost, and developer experience

Excellent communication skills. Able to explain complex ideas clearly to engineering, product, and executive audiences

A product mindset: prioritizing impact, usability, and long-term value over novelty alone

Masters or PhD. degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

This role may require obtaining a U.S. government security clearance in the future. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and eligible to obtain such clearance