Associate Research Scientist

Job Description:

Rakuten Group, Inc. (TSE: 4755) is a global technology leader in services that empower individuals, communities, businesses and society. Founded in Tokyo in 1997 as an online marketplace, Rakuten has expanded to offer services in e-commerce, fintech, digital content and communications to 2 billion members around the world. The Rakuten Group has around 30,000 employees, and operations in 30 countries and regions. For more information visit https://global.rakuten.com/corp/. 

 
 
Job Summary: 

Rakuten Institute of Technology (RIT) is the corporate R&D department of the Rakuten group and is responsible for leading strategic technological progress. RIT’s targets vary from basic technologies to innovative new services. RIT consists of highly motivated research scientists located in Tokyo, Boston, Paris, Singapore, San Mateo and Bengaluru who are driven by strong curiosity. 

We are seeking an innovative and dedicated research scientist to join RIT. As an Associate Research Scientist, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI within Rakuten's diverse ecosystem. Our team focuses on enhancing in-house Large Language Models (LLMs) and seamlessly integrating them into Rakuten's services, impacting millions of users worldwide. We are a collaborative and innovative group, working on cutting-edge research and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing. The ideal candidate will have a passion for producing groundbreaking research and collaborating with teams across Rakuten to deliver impactful AI solutions. 

We welcome exceptional researchers and engineers from other fields who may not have direct experience in generative AI to apply. This role provides an opportunity to gain the critical skills and knowledge needed to transition into the AI & ML space. We are committed to supporting career changers who bring unique perspectives and expertise, and we offer mentorship and resources to facilitate your growth in the AI and ML domains.  

 
Key Responsibilities: 

• Develop and train LLMs, including data processing, pre-training, and fine-tuning. This also includes designing and running experiments, writing code, and evaluating results. 

• Implement and verify latest technologies in Deep Learning, LLMs and AI agent fields, and reflect the implementation into in-house machine learning libraries. 

• Work collaboratively with globally distributed people in a range of roles, including researchers, engineers, product managers, designers, and other key product stakeholders to accomplish complex tasks that deliver value to our business. 

• Present findings and insights in team meetings and contributing to project documentation. 

• Stay up to date on research and product advances in AI.  

 
Qualifications: 

• Proven experience in a research-focused role within industry, academia, or government institutions. 

• Experience participating in machine learning projects, having completed the entire cycle of model training, experimental design, and evaluation. 

• Basic knowledge and understanding of natural language processing<