Research Engineer

Remote US with preference on East Coast

As human beings, one of our fundamental identifiers is our voice. Pindrop’s advanced voice identity technology recognizes this distinct and unique human quality with the kind of precision and certainty that’s needed when information or access is essential. From preventing fraud in call centers to obtaining information from smart devices and even activating cars, Pindrop lets people use their voice to quickly and privately connect to, enter, and unlock their world. At Pindrop, we hire great people and we take care of them. All we do is guided by our Core Values: Audaciously Innovate, Evangelical Customers for Life, Execution Excellence, Win as a Company, Make a Difference.

Headquartered in Atlanta, GA, Pindrop has raised over $223M in capital by premier VCs including Andreessen-Horowitz, IVP, and CapitalG.

We are looking for a Research Engineer to join the Speech team to help us explore exciting research ideas in the area of speech processing. This candidate will work in a world-class team of researchers and will play a key role in developing the next generation of voice experiences. This role will touch various use cases at the forefront of the next frontier of Pindrop 2.0.

What you’ll do

• Tech transfer of audio and ML models from Research to Product on different platforms (e.g. cloud, embedded systems)
• Contribute to research packages to train and test ML models
• Conduct experimental studies on various audio processing tasks to assess accuracy and quality of pre-existing models
• Publish patents and peer-reviewed papers in top audio and speech conferences

• Contribute to the research team’s activities including regular research reviews and code reviews

Who you are

• You are a creative problem solver who is excited about building amazing products that add real value to millions of people
• You are enthusiastic about audio processing as well as transfering research ideas into products
• You can explain complex topics in simple terms, and you love building strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• You are a self-starter and excel in a fast-paced dynamic environment that often includes ambiguity

Your skill-set: 

• Masters degree or PhD in a quantitative field (Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, etc.) or equivalent experience required
• Preferably 1+ years of professional experience as a engineer in Deep Learning, preferably, in automatic speech recognition, natural language processing, speaker recognition or model compression or in general machine learning
• Strong Python skills required
• Strong C/C++ skills required
• Experience with ML frameworks: TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch 
• Proven track record of successful and timely project delivery
• Strong collaboration & proven success in partnering with stakeholders
• Preferably, you have experience with Go
• Preferably, you have experience in TF-Lite and TF-Micro
• Preferably, you have experience in JavaScript, HTML, CSS or React JS
• Preferably, you have knowledge of biometrics, authentication, fraud, or customer experience concepts
• Preferably, you have experience communicating with internal and external customers around proof-of-concepts, issues, etc.

What’s in it for you

As a Pindropper, you join a rapidly growing company making technology more human with the power of voice. You will work alongside some of the best and brightest (no joke…nearly 1 in 3 Pindrop employees has a Ph.D.). We’re a passionate group committed to excellence - but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the journey as a team with chess and poker tournaments, catered lunches and happy hours, wellness programming, and more. Because we take our jobs seriously, we add in time for rest with Unlimited PTO, Focus Thursday, and Company-wide Rest Days. 

• Within 30 days you’ll have been introduced to your team, colleagues and have 1:1’s to assimilate into the company culture. You will have the opportunity to learn the product in and out through training and a variety of resources
• Within 60 days you’ll understand expectations for the team, and be able to start a research project agreed upon with your direct manager.
• Within 90 days you’ll have an intermediate level of familiarity with the products and corresponding research initiatives. You will develop a strong relationship with the team and you will be able to begin executing against the research roadmap.

What we offer

As a part of Pindrop, you’ll have a direct impact on our growing list of products and the future of security in the voice-driven economy. We hire great people and take care of them. Here’s a snapshot of the benefits we offer:

• Competitive compensation, including equity for all employees
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Generous health and welfare plans to choose from - including an employer-provided “employee-only” plan!
• Best-in-class Health Savings Account (HSA) employer contribution
• Affordable vision and dental plans for you and your family
• Employer-provided life and disability coverage with additional supplemental options
• Paid Parental Leave - Equal for all parents, including birth, adoptive & foster parents
• One year of diaper delivery for your newest addition to the family! It’s our way of welcoming new Pindroplets to the family!
• Remote-first culture with opportunities for in-person team events
• New hire and recurring monthly home office allowance
• When we need a break, we keep it fun with happy hours, ping pong and foosball, drinks and snacks, and monthly massages!
• Remote and in-person team activities (think cheese tastings, chess tournaments, talent shows, murder mysteries, and more!)
• Company holidays
• Annual professional development and learning benefit
• Pick your own Apple MacBook Pro
• Retirement plan with competitive 401(k) match
• Wellness Program including Employee Assistance Program, 24/7 Telemedicine

What we live by

At Pindrop, our Core Values are fundamental beliefs at the center of all we do. They are our guiding principles that dictate our actions and behaviors. Our Values are deeply embedded into our culture in big and small ways and even help us decide right from wrong when the path forward is unclear. At Pindrop, we believe in taking accountability to make decisions and act in a way that reflects who we are. We truly believe making decisions and acting with our Core Values in mind will help us to achieve our goals and keep Pindrop a great place to work:    

• Audaciously Innovate - We continue to change the world, and the way people safely engage and interact with technology. As first principle thinkers, we challenge standards, take risks and learn from our mistakes in order to make positive change and continuous improvement. We believe nothing is impossible.
• Evangelical Customers for Life - We delight, inspire and empower customers from day one and for life. We create a partnership and experience that results in a shared passion.   We are champions for our customers, and our customers become our champions, creating a universal commitment to one another. 
• Execution Excellence - We do what we say and say what we do. We are accountable for making the tough decisions and necessary tradeoffs to deliver quality and effective solutions on time.
• Win as a Company - Every time we win, we win as a company. Every time we lose, we lose as a company. We break down silos, support one another, embrace diversity and celebrate our successes. We are better together. 
• Make a Difference - Every day we have the opportunity to make a positive impact. We operate with dedication, passion, and uncompromising integrity, creating a safer, more secure world.

Not sure if this is you?

We want a diverse, global team, with a broad range of experience and perspectives. If this job sounds great, but you’re not sure if you qualify, apply anyway! We carefully consider every application and will either move forward with you, find another team that might be a better fit, keep in touch for future opportunities, or thank you for your time.

Pindrop is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Here at Pindrop, it is our mission to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive work environment. As an equal opportunity employer, all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability, marital and/or veteran status.

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