Stanford University · 2 months ago
Research Scientist - Interpretability (1 Year Fixed Term)
Stanford, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$157K/yr - $180K/yr
5+ years expStanford University is a prestigious institution dedicated to advancing knowledge and research. They are seeking a Research Scientist specializing in interpretability to lead initiatives in understanding neural representations and develop methods for analyzing models related to the brain's computational processes.
EducationHigher EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Lead research initiatives in the mechanistic interpretability of foundation models of the brain
Develop novel theoretical frameworks and methods for understanding neural representations
Design and guide interpretability studies that bridge artificial and biological neural networks
Advanced techniques for circuit discovery, feature visualization, and geometric analysis of high-dimensional neural data
Collaborate with neuroscientists to connect interpretability findings with biological principles
Mentor junior researchers and engineers in interpretability methods
Help shape the research agenda of the interpretability team
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Neuroscience, or related field plus 2+ years post-Ph.D. research experience
At least 2+ years of practical experience in training, fine-tuning, and using multi-modal deep learning models
Strong publication record in top-tier machine learning conferences and journals, particularly in areas related to multi-modal modeling
Strong programming skills in Python and deep learning frameworks
Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and mentor others
Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment
Bachelor's degree and five years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience
Expert knowledge of the principles of engineering and related natural sciences
Demonstrated project leadership experience
Demonstrated experience leading and/or managing technical professionals
Preferred
Background in theoretical neuroscience or computational neuroscience
Experience in processing and analyzing large-scale, high-dimensional data of different sources
Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and their machine learning services
Familiarity with big data and MLOps platforms (e.g. MLflow, Weights & Biases)
Familiarity with training, fine tuning, and quantization of LLMs or multimodal models using common techniques and frameworks (LoRA, PEFT, AWQ, GPTQ, or similar)
Experience with large-scale distributed model training frameworks (e.g. Ray, DeepSpeed, HF Accelerate, FSDP)
Benefits
Access to unique datasets spanning artificial and biological neural networks
State-of-the-art computing infrastructure
Competitive salary and benefits package
Collaborative environment at the intersection of multiple disciplines
Location at Stanford University with access to its world-class research community
Company
Stanford University
Stanford University is a teaching and research university that focuses on graduate programs in law, medicine, education, and business.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Stanford University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2020 (12)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$26.52MKey Investors
National Institutes of HealthCalifornia Institute for Regenerative MedicineGRAMMY Museum
2025-09-08Grant
2025-01-30Grant· $5.6M
2023-08-17Grant
Leadership Team
Nadia Roumani
Co-founder and Senior Designer, Designing for Social Systems (DSS) Program, d.school
Howard Wolf
Vice President for Alumni Affairs
Recent News
2026-01-20
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2026-01-16
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