Remote | PhD Machine Learning Research Scientist — $105–$140/hour

We are sharing a specialised part-time consulting opportunity for PhD-level machine learning researchers with a demonstrated record of original frontier research and publications at ICML, NeurIPS, or ICLR.

This high-priority pilot focuses on advanced machine learning research and algorithmic innovation. Selected researchers will contribute deep technical expertise across areas such as reinforcement learning, meta-learning, recursive self-improvement, and AI for scientific discovery. The project has an accelerated timeline and is intended for researchers whose work has advanced state-of-the-art machine learning methods.

Key Responsibilities

Frontier Machine Learning Research

• Contribute to well-defined research problems involving advanced machine learning methods
• Develop and evaluate original algorithmic approaches grounded in current research
• Analyse experimental results and identify meaningful opportunities for improvement
• Apply rigorous scientific reasoning to complex and open-ended technical questions

Algorithm & Experiment Development

• Design experiments that test novel learning strategies, architectures, or optimisation methods
• Develop reproducible research workflows and clearly document experimental assumptions
• Evaluate competing approaches using appropriate metrics and statistical methodology
• Diagnose unexpected behaviour, methodological weaknesses, and performance limitations

Research Analysis & Technical Review

• Review technical outputs for methodological soundness, originality, and research quality
• Assess whether claims are supported by experiments and appropriate baselines
• Identify gaps in reasoning, evaluation design, and interpretation of results
• Provide precise written feedback and recommendations for further investigation

Rapid Pilot Collaboration

• Contribute within an accelerated research and delivery schedule
• Collaborate asynchronously with other senior researchers and technical stakeholders
• Communicate findings, limitations, and research decisions clearly
• Maintain high scientific standards while supporting fast project execution

Ideal Profile

Strong candidates may have:

• A PhD in machine learning, computer science, artificial intelligence, or a closely related field
• At least one main-conference publication at ICML, NeurIPS, or ICLR
• A particularly strong profile with two or more publications at these venues
• Demonstrated experience conducting original machine learning research
• A record of contributing to algorithmic innovation rather than primarily applied analytics
• Strong experimental design, mathematical reasoning, and technical writing skills
• Ability to work independently on ambiguous and research-intensive problems
• Availability to contribute promptly to an urgent pilot engagement

Educational Background

• A completed PhD in machine learning, computer science, artificial intelligence, statistics, applied mathematics, or a closely related discipline is required
• Doctoral research should demonstrate substantial original contributions to machine learning
• Publications at leading peer-reviewed ML conferences are central to the selection process
• Additional research experience within a university, industrial research laboratory, or advanced AI organisation may strengthen an application

Nice to Have

• Research expertise in reinforcement learning
• Experience with meta-learning or learning-to-learn methods
• Work involving recursive self-improvement or autonomous model-improvement systems
• Research in AI for science, including weather forecasting, protein modelling, or scientific discovery
• A strong record of state-of-the-art experimental results
• Experience developing open-source machine learning research tools or models
• Additional publications at leading machine learning, AI, or scientific-computing venues
• Familiarity with research workflows requiring rapid experimentation and delivery

Why This Opportunity

• Contribute to a small, highly selective frontier machine learning research group
• Work on high-priority problems involving original algorithmic innovation
• Apply expertise developed through top-tier ML research and publication
• Explore advanced topics across reinforcement learning, meta-learning, and AI for science
• Participate in an urgent pilot with competitive hourly compensation

Contract Details

• Independent contractor role
• Fully remote with flexible scheduling
• High-priority pilot with an accelerated selection and project timeline
• Initial research data or results are expected around 27–28 July
• Competitive rates between $105–$140 per hour depending on research expertise and publication record
• Weekly payments via Stripe or Wise
• Work may include research design, experimentation, technical analysis, and written evaluation
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or adjusted depending on pilot outcomes, scope, and performance
• Work will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution

About the Platform

This opportunity is available through 24-MAG LLC. We connect experienced professionals with remote consulting opportunities across technical, evaluation, and project-based workstreams.

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