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Multimodal LLM Researcher (MLLM)

External
pika logoPika · Palo Alto
Full-timeOn-site1mo ago
Deep LearningGenerative AILLMsPrototypingPythonPyTorch
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About the role

At Pika, we are pioneering next-generation creative infrastructure built around real-time, multimodal generation and intelligent, agentic platforms. We are seeking accomplished Multimodal LLM Researchers (LLM, VLM, and Audio LM) to drive forward our mission to make agentic real-time generative technology accessible, dynamic, and transformative for millions of creators. As a core member of our research team, you will be integral to designing and building foundational technologies, developing novel approaches for large multimodal language models (LLMs/VLMs/Audio LMs), and orchestrating intelligent agentic systems that power scalable, interactive multimedia experiences. You will collaborate closely with engineering and product teams, shaping the future of real-time creative platforms.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and contribute to research efforts focused on real-time, multimodal generation-including text, image, video, and audio synthesis-as well as orchestration of agentic platform infrastructure
  • Design and prototype novel algorithms and architectures for high-fidelity, real-time multimodal synthesis and interactive experiences
  • Focus on real-time aspects of model inference and synthesis across modalities
  • Work on diffusion model distillation and/or develop diffusion-based world models for multimodal applications
  • Train and finetune autoregressive and diffusion models in LLM, VLM, or Audio LM contexts with a focus on real-time performance
  • Curate specific datasets, especially for video, audio, cross-modal, and sensory-rich data
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to bring research advancements into production-ready technologies
  • Publish work in top-tier conferences and journals; communicate research results internally and externally
  • Stay at the cutting edge of real-time multimodal generative AI and agentic orchestration

Requirements

  • 5+ years of relevant experience, including research during graduate studies, in large language models, vision-language models, audio language models, deep learning, or related fields
  • Demonstrated impact as first author on major publications in top conferences or journals (e.g., NeurIPS, CVPR, ICML, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, Interspeech, etc.)
  • Deep expertise in at least one area: language modeling (LLM), vision-language modeling (VLM), or audio language modeling (Audio LM)
  • Strong experience with generative models, including autoregressive and diffusion models, and their real-time deployment
  • Hands-on experience curating, constructing, or augmenting large, high-quality multimodal datasets
  • Experience developing and deploying real-time systems and/or agentic orchestration infrastructure
  • Strong programming and prototyping skills (Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.)
  • Passion for building creative tools and platforms that empower users
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Benefits

Competitive salary and substantial equity in a high-growth startupFull health benefits + 401k matching and moreCollaborative, mission-driven team environment with major growth opportunitiesFlexible on-site/remote hybrid (HQ in Palo Alto, CA)About PikaPika empowers creators by building state-of-the-art agentic and multimedia platforms. Our vision is to break down technical barriers to creativity, making real-time generative and intelligent orchestration accessible to all. Join us and shape the next evolution of creative technology!If you are a leading researcher excited by real-time multimodal AI and agentic platforms, we want to hear from you.Health insuranceVision insurance401(k)Remote work optionsFlexible scheduleEquity / stock options

Additional Information

Multimodal LLM Researcher (MLLM)


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