VP of Research, Machine Learning

About the Role A1 is building a proactive AI system that goes beyond responding to prompts – it maintains context across conversations, plans actions, and carries work forward over time. You will own the research and intelligence direction of this system. Your role is to define how AI reasons, evaluates, and improves in a product used with high frequency. What You'll Do Set and evolve the research direction for A1’s core intelligence, including context representation, memory, reasoning, planning, and evaluation. Build and lead a team of world-class researchers. Collaborate closely with engineering and product teams to translate research breakthroughs into real-world product impact. Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in AI and machine learning. Communicate research findings through publications, presentations, and open-source contributions. What We're Looking For PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field. 10+ years of experience in AI research, with a focus on areas such as reasoning, planning, or reinforcement learning. Proven track record of leading and growing high-performing research teams. Deep understanding of the latest AI and machine learning techniques. Excellent communication and collaboration skills. Experience publishing research in top-tier conferences and journals. Experience with large language models. Nice to Haves Experience with building and deploying AI systems in production. Experience with prompt engineering and evaluation. Benefits Competitive salary and equity. Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance. Unlimited vacation policy. Paid parental leave. Flexible work hours. Professional development budget. Free lunches and snacks. Collaborative and inclusive work environment.