Research Scientist, Generative AI

Location: Los Angeles, Canada | Palo Alto, Canada

Department: Research

Employment Type: Full time

About Snap Inc

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together.

About the Role

Snap Inc is a camera company that believes the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We empower people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together through Snapchat, Lens Studio, and Spectacles. Snap Research is our innovation engine, tackling hard technical problems and bold explorations that transform communication and creativity. Join the Creative Vision Research Team as a Research Scientist, Generative AI, where we make everyone a creator by building technology that understands the world, humans, and objects—delivering generative tools, manipulation capabilities, and real-time AR experiences that power Snap's products. In this role, you'll lead a multi-year research agenda on large-scale multimodal generative projects tailored to camera technology and AR innovation. You'll pioneer generative AI models that enhance Snapchat Lenses, Spectacles, and creative features, enabling millions to craft stunning visual stories. Collaborate with scientists, engineers, and interns in our vibrant, creative culture, sharing expertise and publishing at top venues like NeurIPS, CVPR, and SIGGRAPH to cement Snap's AR leadership. Partner closely with product and engineering teams to ship cutting-edge research, impacting Snapchatters worldwide with seamless, real-time generative experiences. Thrive in our 'Default Together' policy, working 4+ days a week in-office to accelerate culture-building and dynamic collaboration. At Snap, diverse backgrounds drive innovation—we're an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusion, with competitive pay (Zone A: $173,000-$259,000 base; equity eligible), comprehensive benefits, and a supportive community.

What You'll Do

• Lead and execute a multi-year research agenda focused on generative AI for camera and AR innovations
• Work on large-scale multimodal generative projects enhancing Snapchat's creative tools and Lens Studio
• Develop generative models that empower Snapchatters to create immersive AR experiences in real-time
• Share expertise with teammates and interns to foster a collaborative creative culture at Snap
• Publish groundbreaking research to top conferences, advancing Snap's leadership in AR and vision tech
• Partner with engineering teams to deploy research technology to millions of Snapchatters
• Experiment with camera-first generative AI to enable new forms of visual expression and communication
• Drive innovations in 3D synthesis and multimodal generation for Spectacles and Snapchat Lenses
• Mentor junior researchers on integrating generative AI with Snap's ecosystem of products
• Collaborate on riskier explorations that could shift paradigms in AR creativity and human expression

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in a related technical field such as computer science, statistics, mathematics, machine learning or equivalent years of experience
• Strong theoretical foundations of generative AI and practical experience training, tuning, and modifying generative models
• Track record of publications in top-tier international research venues (e.g. ICLR, AAAI, NeurIPS, CVPR, ECCV, ICCV, SIGGRAPH)
• Strong technical knowledge of statistics, machine learning, vision and state-of-the-art deep learning literature
• Strong computer science fundamentals, problem solving skills, programming (Python, C, C++)
• Proven ability to lead interns, PhD students, and junior researchers
• Demonstrated ability in defining, leading and executing challenging research projects

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to impact product with cutting edge research technology
• Experience with multimodal machine learning, involving images, videos, audio, text, speech
• Knowledge of 3D computer vision, non-rigid and articulated 3D registration and synthesis
• Experience with large-scale data collection and annotation best practices

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Generative AI model training and fine-tuning
• Multimodal machine learning (images, videos, audio, text)
• 3D computer vision and synthesis
• Statistics and machine learning theory
• State-of-the-art deep learning literature
• Python, C, C++ programming
• Problem-solving and computer science fundamentals
• Research project leadership and execution
• Intern and junior researcher mentoring
• Publication in top conferences (NeurIPS, CVPR, etc.)
• Large-scale data collection and annotation
• Real-time AR and camera technology integration
• Cross-functional collaboration with engineers
• Innovative thinking for creative tools
• Technical communication and knowledge sharing

Our Benefits

• Paid parental leave
• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Emotional and mental health support programs
• Compensation packages with equity in the form of RSUs
• Opportunities to share in Snap’s long-term success
• Support for disabilities or special needs requiring accommodation
• Dynamic in-office collaboration under our 'Default Together' policy
• Inclusive environment fostering diverse backgrounds and voices

Compensation

$173,000-$259,000 annually

This position is eligible for equity in the form of RSUs.

"Default Together" Policy: At Snap Inc, we practice a "default together" approach and expect team members to work in an office 4+ days per week.

Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.