Senior Level AI Research Scientist Jobs
Senior level ai research scientist jobs place experienced researchers in charge of defining problem framing, owning model development end to end, and leading the teams that bring foundational and applied work to production. Openings skew toward 18% remote and hybrid settings across Technology & Software, Banking & Financial Services, and Healthcare & Medical Services, with employers like Northwest Bank, NVIDIA, and Databricks hiring at this level now.
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Showing 5 of 20+ Senior Level AI Research Scientist jobs
About this role:
Wells Fargo’s Model Risk Management (MRM) team is seeking a Senior Lead Quantitative Analytics Specialist (AI Research Scientist Lead – Foundation Models & Agentic AI) to drive advanced AI initiatives. This role will lead the development and evaluation of next-generation Foundation Models, Agentic AI solutions, and Generative AI systems, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and aligned with regulatory expectations. This is a high-impact opportunity to operate at the intersection of AI innovation and model risk oversight, partnering with business, technology, and risk leaders to bring cutting-edge AI capabilities into real-world financial applications that serve millions of customers.
In this role, you will:
- Lead end-to-end research projects in Agentic AI / AI / Generative AI / Machine Learning from ideation, research, experimentation, implementation, evaluation, transfer and documentation.
- Contribute and lead building the next generation of foundation models and agentic AI systems trained / operating on large volumes of heterogeneous data - both structured and unstructured - that enhance Wells Fargo's products, services, and operations.
- Lead the deployment of foundation models, LLMs, and agentic AI systems into production, with a strong understanding of deployment trade-offs.
- Drive the exploration, application, and rigorous evaluation of emerging AI technologies that solve real-world challenges.
- Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams, including researchers, data scientists, applied engineers, and domain experts.
- Translate research insights into impactful business solutions, open-source contributions, patents, and publications.
- Publish in top-tier AI/ML conferences and journals and represent Wells Fargo in the broader AI research community.
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of Quantitative Analytics experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
- Master's degree or higher in a quantitative discipline such as mathematics, statistics, engineering, physics, economics, or computer science
Desired Qualifications:
- PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related computational field, or an MSc with at least 3 years of relevant applied research / research innovation or industry experience building foundational models.
- Solid proven research track record with publications in top-tier AI/ML conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, NAACL, or EMNLP, combined with a demonstrated interest in translating research into real-world applications that impact millions of customers.
- Deep expertise in one or more specialized areas, including but not limited to: Foundation Models (GPT-4, BERT, LLaMA, Claude), Large Language Models (LLMs), Large Reasoning Models, Multimodal Models, Agentic AI
- Demonstrated ability to apply GenAI / Agentic AI in the full build lifecycle - design, implementation, testing, and iteration - leveraging AI coding copilots (e.g., GitHub Copilot) and agentic coding workflows to accelerate delivery while maintaining enterprise standards
- Hands-on experience with GPU infrastructure, Transformer architecture, modern AI/ML development frameworks and tools such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, AWS, GCP.
- Strong engineering background with demonstrated ability to contribute to collaborative software engineering projects, including version control, code reviews, and scalable system design.
- Experience with transferring foundation models, LLMs, and agentic AI systems in production
Job Expectations:
- This position offers a hybrid work schedule
- Willingness to work onsite at stated location on the job posting
- This position is eligible for VISA sponsorship
Job Posting Locations:
- Three Wells Fargo Center, CHARLOTTE, NC
- 600 Wells Fargo, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
- Las Colinas Bldg B, Irving Campus, IRVING, TX
- West Des Moines Campus, 800 S Jordan Creek Pkwy, WEST DES MOINES, IA
- D Building,114N Beaumont St -D Bldg., SAINT LOUIS, MO
- 1150 W Washington, TEMPE, AZ
- 333 Market, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Pay Range
Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to demonstrated examples of prior performance, skills, experience, or work location. Employees may also be eligible for incentive opportunities. $185,000.00 - $300,000.00
Benefits
Wells Fargo provides eligible employees with a comprehensive set of benefits, many of which are listed below. Visit Benefits - Wells Fargo Jobs for an overview of the following benefit plans and programs offered to employees.
- Health benefits
- 401(k) Plan
- Paid time off
- Disability benefits
- Life insurance, critical illness insurance, and accident insurance
- Parental leave
- Critical caregiving leave
- Discounts and savings
- Commuter benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Scholarships for dependent children
- Adoption reimbursement
Posting End Date:
2 Nov 2026
Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
We Value Equal Opportunity
Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
Applicants with Disabilities
To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.
Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:
a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.
b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.
c. Please be prepared to provide accurate information and supporting documentation in connection with any lawful employment and education verification conducted by Wells Fargo.
About this role:
Wells Fargo’s Model Risk Management (MRM) team is seeking a Senior Lead Quantitative Analytics Specialist (AI Research Scientist Lead – Foundation Models & Agentic AI) to drive advanced AI initiatives. This role will lead the development and evaluation of next-generation Foundation Models, Agentic AI solutions, and Generative AI systems, ensuring they are robust, scalable, and aligned with regulatory expectations. This is a high-impact opportunity to operate at the intersection of AI innovation and model risk oversight, partnering with business, technology, and risk leaders to bring cutting-edge AI capabilities into real-world financial applications that serve millions of customers.
In this role, you will:
- Lead end-to-end research projects in Agentic AI / AI / Generative AI / Machine Learning from ideation, research, experimentation, implementation, evaluation, transfer and documentation.
- Contribute and lead building the next generation of foundation models and agentic AI systems trained / operating on large volumes of heterogeneous data - both structured and unstructured - that enhance Wells Fargo's products, services, and operations.
- Lead the deployment of foundation models, LLMs, and agentic AI systems into production, with a strong understanding of deployment trade-offs.
- Drive the exploration, application, and rigorous evaluation of emerging AI technologies that solve real-world challenges.
- Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams, including researchers, data scientists, applied engineers, and domain experts.
- Translate research insights into impactful business solutions, open-source contributions, patents, and publications.
- Publish in top-tier AI/ML conferences and journals and represent Wells Fargo in the broader AI research community.
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of Quantitative Analytics experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
- Master's degree or higher in a quantitative discipline such as mathematics, statistics, engineering, physics, economics, or computer science
Desired Qualifications:
- PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a closely related computational field, or an MSc with at least 3 years of relevant applied research / research innovation or industry experience building foundational models.
- Solid proven research track record with publications in top-tier AI/ML conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, NAACL, or EMNLP, combined with a demonstrated interest in translating research into real-world applications that impact millions of customers.
- Deep expertise in one or more specialized areas, including but not limited to: Foundation Models (GPT-4, BERT, LLaMA, Claude), Large Language Models (LLMs), Large Reasoning Models, Multimodal Models, Agentic AI
- Demonstrated ability to apply GenAI / Agentic AI in the full build lifecycle - design, implementation, testing, and iteration - leveraging AI coding copilots (e.g., GitHub Copilot) and agentic coding workflows to accelerate delivery while maintaining enterprise standards
- Hands-on experience with GPU infrastructure, Transformer architecture, modern AI/ML development frameworks and tools such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, Hugging Face, AWS, GCP.
- Strong engineering background with demonstrated ability to contribute to collaborative software engineering projects, including version control, code reviews, and scalable system design.
- Experience with transferring foundation models, LLMs, and agentic AI systems in production
Job Expectations:
- This position offers a hybrid work schedule
- Willingness to work onsite at stated location on the job posting
- This position is eligible for VISA sponsorship
Job Posting Locations:
- Three Wells Fargo Center, CHARLOTTE, NC
- 600 Wells Fargo, MINNEAPOLIS, MN
- Las Colinas Bldg B, Irving Campus, IRVING, TX
- West Des Moines Campus, 800 S Jordan Creek Pkwy, WEST DES MOINES, IA
- D Building,114N Beaumont St -D Bldg., SAINT LOUIS, MO
- 1150 W Washington, TEMPE, AZ
- 333 Market, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Pay Range
Reflected is the base pay range offered for this position. Pay may vary depending on factors including but not limited to demonstrated examples of prior performance, skills, experience, or work location. Employees may also be eligible for incentive opportunities. $185,000.00 - $300,000.00
Benefits
Wells Fargo provides eligible employees with a comprehensive set of benefits, many of which are listed below. Visit Benefits - Wells Fargo Jobs for an overview of the following benefit plans and programs offered to employees.
- Health benefits
- 401(k) Plan
- Paid time off
- Disability benefits
- Life insurance, critical illness insurance, and accident insurance
- Parental leave
- Critical caregiving leave
- Discounts and savings
- Commuter benefits
- Tuition reimbursement
- Scholarships for dependent children
- Adoption reimbursement
Posting End Date:
2 Nov 2026
Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
We Value Equal Opportunity
Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit’s risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
Applicants with Disabilities
To request a medical accommodation during the application or interview process, visit Disability Inclusion at Wells Fargo.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
Wells Fargo maintains a drug free workplace. Please see our Drug and Alcohol Policy to learn more.
Wells Fargo Recruitment and Hiring Requirements:
a. Third-Party recordings are prohibited unless authorized by Wells Fargo.
b. Wells Fargo requires you to directly represent your own experiences during the recruiting and hiring process.
c. Please be prepared to provide accurate information and supporting documentation in connection with any lawful employment and education verification conducted by Wells Fargo.
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Senior Level AI Research Scientist Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a senior level ai research scientist job?
Employers hiring at the senior level look for candidates who have shipped research to production, not just published it. A strong publication record matters, but so does demonstrated ownership of a full project lifecycle, from problem definition through deployment. The clearest edge comes from showing you've shaped a research agenda, mentored junior researchers, and made architectural decisions that held up at scale.
Which companies hire senior level ai research scientists?
Companies hiring senior level ai research scientists right now include Northwest Bank, NVIDIA, and Databricks, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Hiring at this level is concentrated among organizations with dedicated research labs, large-scale ML infrastructure, and the budget to support long-horizon work alongside applied product goals.
Are there remote senior level ai research scientist jobs?
Yes, though availability varies by employer and research focus. About 18% of senior level ai research scientist openings are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the field's strong orientation toward distributed, asynchronous work. Roles tied to proprietary hardware, robotics, or lab-based experimentation are more likely to require on-site presence.
What makes an ai research scientist role senior level?
Senior level ai research scientist roles are defined by ownership and scope rather than task execution. At this stage, you set the technical direction for a research area, make independent decisions on methodology and infrastructure, and are expected to mentor junior scientists and contribute to hiring. The work goes beyond implementing known approaches to advancing them, with direct accountability for research outcomes.
Which industries hire the most senior level ai research scientists?
Senior level ai research scientist roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Banking & Financial Services, and Healthcare & Medical Services, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. These sectors invest heavily at this level because they have both the data infrastructure and the competitive pressure that make foundational research directly valuable to core business outcomes.