# Senior Research Engineer, Voice + Speech

**Company:** [Decagon](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/decagon)
**Location:** New York, NY, San Francisco, CA
**Role:** ML Engineering
**Salary:** $200k – $400k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Python, LLMs, Machine Learning, Model Training, Model Evaluation, Data Pipelines, Speech Recognition, Conversational AI, Natural Language Processing
**Posted:** 2026-05-18

> Lead development of models and algorithms powering real-time voice agents, focusing on speech understanding, naturalness, and production deployment. Requires 5+ years in AI/ML, LLM production experience, and strong Python/ML skills.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Lead research and engineering efforts to improve core conversational capabilities in production, including instruction following, retrieval, memory, and long-horizon task completion
- Build and iterate on end-to-end models and pipelines that optimize for quality, efficiency, and user experience
- Partner with platform and product engineers to integrate new models into production systems
- Break down ambiguous research ideas into clear, iterative milestones and roadmaps
- Mentor other researchers/engineers, set technical direction, and establish best practices for applied research and engineering

## Requirements
- 5+ years of experience in AI/ML engineering or research
- Prior experience post-training and deploying LLMs in production environments
- Fluency in Python and modern ML tooling (training, evaluation, data pipelines)
- Track record of taking research ideas from prototype to reliable, measurable production impact
- Ability to define a roadmap, break ambiguity into milestones, and lead cross-functional execution

## Compensation & Benefits
- $200K – $400K + equity
- Take what you need vacation policy
- Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits
- Life Insurance and Disability Benefits
- Retirement Plan (e.g., 401K)
- Parental Leave
- Fertility and family building benefits through Carrot
- Daily lunches and snacks in the office

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