Lead ML Research Engineer

Summary

Join Sword Health, a Forbes Best Startup Employer, and help build a pain-free world powered by AI. As a senior AI researcher, you will guide ML engineers through complex projects, define new research directions, serve as a technical anchor for the AI team, and publish research findings. You will bridge the gap between research and implementation, collaborating with product, data, and engineering teams. This role requires a PhD in a relevant field, 5+ years of AI/ML experience, a publication record, and deep GenAI expertise. Sword Health offers a stimulating environment, career development, competitive salary, flexible hours, unlimited vacation, and access to a health and well-being program. The position is remote or hybrid, based in Portugal, and requires a valid EU visa.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in AI/ML in industry with demonstrable technical contributions
• Publication record or demonstrable research output in machine learning or AI
• Deep technical expertise in GenAI (LLMs, generative models, speech, etc.)
• Experience leading technical teams through complex research challenges in fast-paced, product-focused environments
• Proven ability to translate research concepts into practical implementations
• Good coding skills in Python and familiarity with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.)
• Experience with the full ML lifecycle, from ideation to deployment
• Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Strong product sense and impeccable ability to do research with strong alignment towards business objectives

Responsibilities

• Guide ML Engineers and ML Research Engineers through technically complex projects such as LLM continued pre-training, architectural innovations, or adapting and training open-source models (TTS, STT, etc.)
• Identify and define new research directions that align with Sword’s strategic goals
• Serve as the technical anchor for the AI team, providing expertise on cutting-edge approaches and implementation strategies
• Author and publish technical papers and blog posts to document research findings
• Stay at the forefront of GenAI advancements and proactively bring this knowledge to the team through regular knowledge sharing sessions
• Bridge the gap between research innovations and practical implementations by collaborating with Product, Data & Engineering teams
• Mentor team members to grow their technical and research capabilities

Preferred Qualifications

• Contributions to open-source AI/ML projects
• Experience applying research in healthcare or related domains
• Familiarity with MLOps and experiment tracking tools
• Experience establishing research collaborations with academic institutions
• Passion for healthcare technology and its potential to improve lives

Benefits

• A stimulating, fast-paced environment with lots of room for creativity and ownership
• Career development and growth, with a competitive salary
• The opportunity to work with a talented team on cutting-edge AI/ML applications that have the potential to transform the future of healthcare
• A flexible environment where you can control your hours (remotely) with unlimited vacation
• Access to our health and well-being program (digital therapist sessions)
• Remote or Hybrid work policy
• Health, dental and vision insurance
• Meal allowance
• Equity shares
• Remote work allowance
• Flexible working hours
• Work from home
• Discretionary vacation
• Snacks and beverages
• English class