Research Lead, Training
Goodfire
CA$400,000 - CA$600,000 / year
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Description
About Goodfire
Goodfire is an AI interpretability research lab. We build interpretability agents and infrastructure to understand, monitor, and align AI models.
We believe that AI is the most consequential technology of our time. Yet AI models are trained by trial and error today, with limited understanding of what drives their behavior. Our goal is to advance the research and technology needed to fully understand and align AI so humanity can trust superintelligence.
Goodfire is a public benefit corporation founded by researchers who helped pioneer the field of interpretability at OpenAI and Google DeepMind. We are headquartered in San Francisco and have raised over $200M from leading investors including Lightspeed, Menlo, and B Capital.
About the role
We're hiring a Research Lead, Training to lead Goodfire's model training organization and define the research agenda behind how we train more capable, aligned, and interpretable AI systems, including exploring the research frontier of intentional design.
We’re looking for a senior research leader who can drive model training today while exploring the next generation of training methods, from interpretability-informed approaches to entirely new paradigms. You'll build, mentor, and grow a world-class team of researchers, set technical direction, and partner closely with scientific leadership to turn ambitious ideas into production systems and lasting research breakthroughs.
Key responsibilities:
- Lead Goodfire’s training organization and manage a high-performing team from day one
- Set direction for model training as Goodfire develops and deploys its own models
- Drive execution on post-training and model improvement work, with accountability for shipping high-quality training outcomes
- Define and lead a research agenda in intentional design, interpretability-informed training, and alignment
- Partner with our Chief Scientist to shape priorities, balance research and delivery, and translate strategy into execution
- Build the team over time, including hiring, mentoring, and creating strong technical and managerial foundations
What you’ll bring
Required experience and qualifications
- Experience leading post-training, model training, or closely related efforts in a frontier AI environment
- Track record of owning ambitious technical programs that combine research depth with executional rigor
- Experience managing teams and operating effectively in fast-moving, high-expectation environments
- Strong judgment on how to balance longer-term research bets with near-term product or model delivery
- Interest in intentional design, alignment, and interpretability-informed training
- Ability to work closely with senior scientific leadership while also independently setting direction and driving outcomes
Our values
Goodfire is looking for individuals who embody our values and share our deep commitment to making interpretability accessible. We are building a team first and foremost.
Put mission and team first
All we do is in service of our mission. We trust each other, deeply care about the success of the organization, and choose to put our team above ourselves.
Improve constantly
We are constantly looking to improve every piece of the business. We proactively critique ourselves and others in a kind and thoughtful way that translates to practical improvements in the organization. We are pragmatic and consistently implement the obvious fixes that work.
Take ownership and initiative
There are no bystanders here. We proactively identify problems and take full responsibility over getting a strong result. We are self-driven, own our mistakes, and feel deep responsibility over what we’re building.
Action today
We have a small amount of time to do something incredibly hard and meaningful. The pace and intensity of the organization is high. If we can take action today or tomorrow, we will choose to do it today.
Where we work
We are hiring for this position in both our San Francisco HQ and our New York office. We are in person 5 days a week, with one company-wide remote week per month.
What we offer
This role offers market competitive salary, equity, and competitive benefits.
The expected salary range for this position is $400,000 - $600,000 USD.
Most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to join a vital mission at an important point in its trajectory — we are developing groundbreaking technology with a world-class team on the critical path to ensuring a safe and beneficial future for humanity. If you want to do your life’s work with us, even if you believe you do not meet every single requirement, apply now.
Benefits
- $600,000 USD. Most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to join a vital mission at an important point in its trajectory
- we are developing groundbreaking technology with a world-class team on the critical path to ensuring a safe and beneficial future for humanity. If you want to do your life’s work with us, even if you believe you do not meet every single requirement,
About this role
Goodfire is seeking a Research Lead to build and direct the team responsible for training its own AI models with a focus on interpretability and alignment. This is a senior leadership role combining immediate operational ownership—managing a team, shipping training improvements, and driving post-training work—with longer-term research direction in emerging areas like intentional design and interpretability-informed training methods. You'll partner closely with Goodfire's Chief Scientist to balance ambitious research exploration against near-term delivery needs, translating strategy into both production systems and scientific breakthroughs.
The role demands someone with proven experience leading model training or post-training efforts at a frontier AI organization, along with a track record of owning complex technical programs that integrate research rigor with execution discipline. You'll need strong judgment about when to invest in longer-term bets versus shipping results, the ability to build and mentor a world-class research team from the ground up, and comfort operating at high intensity in a fast-moving environment. Deep interest in alignment, interpretability, and intentional design is essential; independent judgment and the capacity to work effectively alongside senior scientific leadership are equally important.
Goodfire is a public benefit corporation founded by interpretability researchers from OpenAI and DeepMind, backed by over $200M in funding. The position is based in San Francisco (or New York) with in-office work five days a week, and offers a competitive salary of $400,000–$600,000 plus equity and benefits.
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Pay for this role
$400,000 to $600,000 per year
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