Research Lead

An innovative, fast-growing technology company operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence and interactive systems is seeking a Research Lead to help shape and drive its next phase of development.

The organisation focuses on leveraging game-based environments to enhance the capabilities, alignment and real-world performance of advanced AI systems. With strong backing from leading investors and established collaborations across top-tier academic institutions, the company is building a unique research-led platform that combines large-scale user interaction with cutting-edge machine learning techniques.

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a research agenda within a high-impact, early-stage environment, working closely with both academic and industry partners while contributing to the development of next-generation AI systems.

Role

You will play a key role in delivering high-quality legal work across a range of crypto fraud and asset tracing matters, working closely with partners and taking increasing ownership of cases. The role offers exposure to complex, often multi-jurisdictional disputes, where you will be involved from early-stage investigation through to enforcement and recovery. You will collaborate with forensic experts and external counsel, contribute to case strategy, and manage fast-moving matters including urgent court applications, while building strong client relationships and supporting the continued growth of the practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deliver a multi-year research roadmap exploring the application of game-based environments to AI model development
• Develop and optimise reinforcement learning environments and training pipelines for large-scale experimentation
• Implement and test algorithms across areas such as multi-agent systems, model alignment, and agent-based interaction
• Lead and coordinate collaborations with academic partners and contribute to publications at leading conferences
• Design experiments to demonstrate measurable improvements in model capability and performance
• Work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including AI labs and research partners
• Support the growth of the research function, including hiring and mentoring future team members

Key Skills

• Strong academic or industry research background in machine learning, computer science, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in areas such as reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems, game theory, or large language model training
• Proven ability to implement research ideas in practice, with strong programming skills (e.g. Python and ML frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX)
• Experience contributing to or publishing in leading conferences or journals
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, early-stage environment with a high degree of autonomy
• Strong communication skills and experience collaborating with academic or research institutions

Desirable:

• Experience within leading AI research environments or top-tier academic groups
• Exposure to game-based AI systems or interactive simulation environments
• Familiarity with alignment techniques, reward modelling, or human-in-the-loop training approaches
• Previous experience building or leading research teams

Benefits

• Competitive base salary with a broad range reflective of experience, plus equity participation
• Flexible working arrangements, with hybrid options in key locations and remote flexibility for exceptional candidates
• Opportunity to collaborate with leading academic institutions and contribute to high-profile research publications
• Exposure to large-scale, real-world applications of AI systems with measurable impact
• Early-stage environment offering strong progression and the chance to shape the direction of the research function

If you’re interested in applying advanced research to real-world AI systems and seeing your work deployed at scale, this is a unique opportunity to do so within a highly innovative environment.