Researcher

Remote (United States)

Job Details

Location: United States

Workplace: Remote

Employment Type: Full-Time

Core Areas: AI Capabilities Research, AI Trends Analysis, Quantitative Research, AI Benchmarking, Data Center Research, AI Compute Supply Chains, Statistical Analysis, Research Methodology

Compensation: $115,000-$185,000 USD annually

Schedule: Flexible working hours for most roles; preference for availability overlapping Pacific Time (UTC−8) and Greenwich Mean Time (UTC).

Travel: Ability to attend three organizational retreats per year is preferred.

About the Role

This Researcher opportunity focuses on investigating artificial intelligence capabilities, identifying technological trends, and evaluating the factors shaping AI development and its broader impact. The position involves conducting quantitative and qualitative research, improving analytical methodologies, producing data-driven reports, and developing evidence-based forecasts. Researchers also contribute to defining research priorities and exploring emerging questions about AI progress.

Research opportunities span AI data centers, semiconductor supply chains, AI adoption and impacts, benchmark evaluation, and model capability trends. Depending on the research area, responsibilities may include analyzing compute infrastructure, designing behavioral studies, reviewing AI benchmarks, developing data explorers, investigating scaling laws, or conducting experiments on AI models. The role requires rigorous analytical reasoning, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to communicate complex research findings clearly.

What You'll Do

• Investigate frontier AI data centers and produce quantitative insights, research reports, and structured datasets on AI computing infrastructure.
• Improve research methodologies used to collect, assess, and present information about AI data centers.
• Examine data center development across countries, including infrastructure expansion, capacity constraints, and factors affecting future construction.
• Develop estimates of semiconductor and AI accelerator deployments within individual data centers.
• Depending on project needs and role fit, coordinate contractors responsible for researching individual data centers.

• Investigate the global supply chain supporting AI compute infrastructure, including semiconductor components, chip ownership, and hardware utilization.
• Analyze the geographic distribution of AI chips, identify organizations using these resources, and examine how computing infrastructure is financed.
• Assess emerging patterns in AI hardware investment, hyperscaler capital expenditure, and the future availability of AI compute resources.
• Develop research outputs such as interactive data explorers, analytical insights, and detailed technical or industry reports.

• Investigate the economic, behavioral, and strategic impacts of artificial intelligence.
• Study AI-related productivity improvements, adoption patterns, and changes in the broader strategic landscape.
• Design and analyze surveys, randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and other behavioral datasets related to AI usage.
• Apply quantitative reasoning and empirical evidence to evaluate the effects and potential trajectories of AI technologies.

• Research and evaluate the quality, reliability, and methodological soundness of benchmarks used to measure AI capabilities.
• Review individual benchmarks and prepare public-facing analyses explaining evaluation findings.
• Contribute to benchmark review and certification efforts.
• Potentially develop guidance for creating stronger AI benchmarks and contribute directly to benchmark development.

• Maintain, improve, and expand research projects that measure AI model capabilities and long-term performance trends.
• Analyze changes in AI capability trajectories, including potential trend breaks and acceleration patterns.
• Investigate statistical relationships between AI performance, computational resources, and model scaling laws.
• Explore methods for incorporating inference compute into scaling-law analysis.
• Design or conduct experiments involving AI models to improve understanding of their capabilities and development trajectories.
• Contribute to ongoing research on AI progress through empirical analysis, methodological improvements, and new research directions.

Qualifications

Required Skills

• Strong quantitative reasoning skills, including the ability to develop estimates from incomplete information and evaluate uncertainty systematically.
• Ability to absorb unfamiliar technical or research material quickly and investigate complex questions across multiple disciplines.
• Familiarity with artificial intelligence trends and developments affecting AI capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain analytical findings and research conclusions clearly.
• Intellectual curiosity and a demonstrated willingness to explore new research questions and emerging technological developments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous research experience in fields related to AI capabilities, compute infrastructure, technology trends, or the impacts of artificial intelligence.
• Experience with at least one component of the AI development pipeline, such as AI hardware, data centers, or AI benchmarks.
• Relevant experience in organizations conducting related research or technical analysis.
• Statistical knowledge or experience with quantitative methods, particularly for AI capability trends research; a formal statistics background is useful but not required.

Applicants from diverse professional and educational backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Specific academic credentials, a minimum number of years of experience, and prior experience in every research area are not required in the published qualifications.

Research Team Availability: Opportunities cover several research specializations. Hiring for direct AI benchmark development is paused through the end of 2026, although applications continue to be tracked for consideration when that team resumes hiring. Benchmark review and other research areas are listed separately.

Work Location and Time Zones: The position supports remote work across many countries within the Pacific Time to Central European Time range. Applications from other time zones are also welcomed, with a preference for candidates able to overlap with working hours between UTC−8 and UTC. No specific US state restrictions are listed.

Compensation

The published Researcher salary range is $115,000–$185,000 USD annually, equivalent to approximately $55.29–$88.94 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year.

Actual compensation depends on experience level and geographic location. Compensation above the published range may be considered for exceptional candidates in key locations.

Salaries may be paid in local currencies rather than USD. Employment contracts and payments are generally denominated in the applicable local currency, with currency conversions based on one-year average exchange rates.

Benefits

• Remote working environment with flexible work hours and schedules for most positions.
• Paid access to a local coworking space when desired.
• Comprehensive health insurance, including country-specific supplemental coverage where available or legally required.
• Life insurance and pension benefits where applicable under local arrangements.
• Generous paid time off with no specific annual limit and 30 days of protected PTO per year.
• Unlimited personal and sick leave.
• Four months of paid parental leave for permanent employees with at least 12 months of tenure, with prorated parental leave available for shorter tenure.
• Flexible reimbursement and expense support for work equipment, productivity tools, and professional learning or development, subject to applicable regulations and management approval.
• Access to equipped office facilities in Berkeley, California, including meals, snacks, and gym amenities.