Research AI Director

Research AI Director Multiverse Computing Multiverse is a well-funded, fast-growing deep-tech company founded in 2019. We are the largest quantum software company in the EU and have been recognized by CB Insights (2023 and 2025) as one of the 100 most promising AI companies in the world. With 180+ employees and growing, our team is fully multicultural and international. We deliver hyper-efficient software for companies seeking a competitive edge through quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Our flagship products, CompactifAI and Singularity, address critical needs across various industries: CompactifAI is a groundbreaking compression tool for foundational AI models based on Tensor Networks. It enables the compression of large AI systems—such as language models—to make them significantly more efficient and portable. Singularity is a quantum- and quantum-inspired optimization platform used by blue-chip companies to solve complex problems in finance, energy, manufacturing, and beyond. It integrates seamlessly with existing systems and delivers immediate performance gains on classical and quantum hardware. You’ll be working alongside world-leading experts to develop solutions that tackle real-world challenges. We’re looking for passionate individuals eager to grow in an ethics-driven environment that values sustainability and diversity. We’re committed to building a truly inclusive culture - come and join us. About the Role The Research AI Director is a senior scientific leadership position responsible for shaping and executing Multiverse Computing's AI research strategy. Reporting directly to the Chief Scientific Officer, you will lead a high-calibre, multidisciplinary AI research organisation, drive world-class LLM and AI development from research through to production, and bridge the best of academia and industry within a fast-moving deep-tech environment. This role demands a rare combination: deep hands-on expertise in large language model development, a strong academic publication record, proven success managing and scaling AI engineering teams in both research and commercial settings, and the strategic vision to align cutting-edge science with real-world product impact. You will be a key voice in the company’s AI direction and a trusted partner to the CSO. Key Responsibilities Strategic AI Research Leadership Define and own the multi-year AI research roadmap, spanning foundation models, model compression, alignment, and applied AI ensuring alignment with company strategy and product priorities. Partner closely with the CSO to translate scientific vision into concrete, deliverable research programmes with measurable milestones. Identify emerging trends in LLMs, multimodal AI, and efficient inference, and position Multiverse at the frontier of applied AI research. Represent Multiverse Computing at top-tier international conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, ICLR) and scientific advisory forums. Team Leadership & People Management Lead, mentor, and scale a diverse AI research organisation of researchers, ML engineers, software engineers, and applied scientists — maintaining a culture of scientific excellence, collaboration, and ownership. Set clear performance expectations, conduct rigorous reviews, and support the professional development and career growth of team members at all levels. Recruit and retain world-class AI talent across both academic and industry profiles, working with HR and the CSO to build a compelling research environment. Coach team leads and senior researchers, fostering technical depth alongside engineering rigour. LLM Development & Research Delivery Own the end-to-end LLM development lifecycle: pretraining, fine-tuning, alignment (RLHF/DPO), evaluation, and production deployment — bridging research prototypes to scalable systems. Oversee the planning and execution of concurrent AI research projects, ensuring high scientific quality, reproducibility, and on-time delivery. Establish robust KPIs, publication targets, and reporting frameworks to track research progress, model performance, IP generation, and product handoffs. Ensure seamless knowledge transfer between research and product/engineering teams, translating scientific breakthroughs into deployable technology. Cross-functional & External Collaboration Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Business Development to ensure AI research outputs are commercially relevant and technically integrable. Build and maintain relationships with leading academic institutions, national laboratories, and AI research consortia. Manage external collaborations including university partnerships, EU-funded research projects, and industrial consortia. Support pre-sales and strategic customer engagements by articulating AI research capabilities and roadmap to both technical and executive audiences. Contribute to grant applications, scientific publications, patents, and white papers that reinforce Multiverse’s intellectual leadership. Qualifications & Experience PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, or a closely related field, with a strong peer-reviewed publication record in AI/ML at top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, ICLR, EMNLP, or equivalent). 8+ years of post-doctoral or industry research experience, with at least 2 years in a senior AI research leadership or management role. Deep, proven expertise in large language model (LLM) development: pretraining, fine-tuning, RLHF/DPO alignment, evaluation, and deployment at scale. Demonstrated track record of managing and scaling AI research or engineering teams in both academic and commercial/industrial environments. Experience spanning both academia and industry: ability to operate with academic rigour (publications, reproducibility, peer review) and industrial discipline (delivery timelines, product integration, stakeholder communication). Hands-on experience with distributed training infrastructure: multi-GPU/multi-node clusters, frameworks such as Megatron-LM, DeepSpeed, or FSDP, and performance profiling at scale. Strong strategic thinking with the ability to set direction, prioritise across competing initiatives, and communicate complex research to non-specialist audiences. Excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills — credible with both world-class scientists and C-suite executives. Nice to Have Familiarity with quantum computing, tensor networks, or quantum-inspired optimisation methods — valuable given Multiverse’s quantum heritage, but not a barrier to entry. Track record of securing competitive research funding (EU Horizon, national grants, or equivalent programmes). Background advising enterprise clients on AI research strategy or roadmap. Perks & Benefits Indefinite contract Equal pay guaranteed. Variable performance bonus. Signing bonus. We offer work visa sponsorship (If applicable). Relocation package (if applicable). Private health insurance. Eligibility for educational budget according to internal policy. Hybrid opportunity. Flexible working hours. Language classes and discounted lunch options Working in a high paced environment, working on cutting edge technologies. Career plan. Opportunity to learn and teach. As an equal opportunity employer, Multiverse Computing is committed to building an inclusive workplace. The company welcomes people from all different backgrounds, including age, citizenship, ethnic and racial origins, gender identities, individuals with disabilities, marital status, religions and ideologies, and sexual orientations to apply. Department Research Locations San Sebastian, Spain Employment type Full-time Workplace type Hybrid Seniority level Director About MULTIVERSE COMPUTING Come and join our multicultural team! 5 locations +27 languages Founded in 2019 Coworkers +150