AI Researcher (Perception)

About Us

At Tavus, we're building the human layer of AI. Our mission is to make human-AI interaction as natural as face-to-face interaction, enabling the human touch where it has been previously unscalable. We achieve this through pioneering research in multi-modal AI models for human perception and understanding, combined with state-of-the-art human avatar rendering and communication models. Our models power everything from text-to-video AI avatars to real-time conversational video experiences across industries like healthcare, recruiting, sales, education, and more. By enabling AI to see, hear, and communicate with human-like authenticity, we're creating the foundation for the next generation of AI employees, assistants, and companions.

We're a Series A company backed by top investors, including Sequoia, Y Combinator, and Scale VC. Join us in driving the future of human-AI interaction.

The Role

We’re looking for a Senior Researcher to join our core AI team. Our ideal partner-in-crime works well in startup environments, is comfortable prioritizing for themselves, and is always down to take calculated risks. We’re moving fast and not looking for people to come along for the ride - we’re looking for people to pave the path.

Your Mission

• Lead research efforts on generative video models (ex: Neural Avatar, Talking-Head, Lip-sync, and other low-level computer vision topics)
• Work with the Applied ML team to help productionize our research
• Stay relevant with the latest advancements (and help us create the latest advancements!)

Requirements

• Hands-on experience with Visual and/or Audio-visual Analysis of Human Behaviour (e.g., affect, expressions, reactions), preferably in conversational, naturalistic settings
• Strong background in Deep Learning, including foundation models and methods
• Experience building models for real-time analysis and generation with time budget constraints
• Excellent programming skills, including building deep learning models in Pytorch
• Publications in top-tier conferences such as CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, ECCV, or ACMMM
• Flexible mindset, including willingness to work on both research and engineering tasks end-to-end.

Additional Experience (Helpful)

• Exposure to or expertise in large model training, including LLMs and VLMs
• Broader knowledge of generative AI models
• Strong foundational understanding of deep learning methodologies that generalize across domains
• Ability to contribute to both the research and engineering sides of the stack
• PhD or equivalent experience preferred
• Experience leading research teams
• Familiarity with best practices in Software Development

Location & Employment

• Salary: $160K - $250K
• Location Type: OnSite (preferably hybrid in San Francisco, but open to remote candidates)
• Employment Type: FullTime
• We offer relocation.

Benefits

When you join Tavus, you’re joining a family. Our work is driven by our team, and our success is shared by all. This position has a flexible work schedule, unlimited PTO, extremely competitive healthcare and gear stipends, as well as, of course, plenty of fun! At the end of the day, we want Tavus to be a place for you to learn, directly drive impact, and be with a team you love.

Our Culture

We are not looking for cultural fits, we are looking for culture creators. In fact, diversity is what drives our success – it’s at the core of how we hire, communicate, and work. We are inclusive to all and combine our diverse backgrounds, skill sets, and thinking to build the best experiences for our clients.