About the Role

ZetaChain is seeking a part-timeAI Researcherto lead high-impact, applied research projects that combine AI, blockchain, and cross-chain interoperability. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a startup environment, is deeply curious, and can independently design, build, and run experiments from scratch.

You will explore cutting-edge directions in generative AI, large language models (LLMs), and agent-based systems — taking ideas from concept to prototype — and collaborate closely with our engineering team to translate research breakthroughs into real-world applications.

What You'll Do

• Formulate and execute small, high-leverage research projects aligned with our product roadmap (e.g., LLM evaluation, retrieval, agent systems, multimodal research).
• Independently build and validate end-to-end prototypes — from data preparation and model fine-tuning to performance testing and delivering functional demos.
• Design and run experimental pipelines autonomously, including setting up research environments and defining evaluation metrics.
• Translate research outcomes into executable solutions, collaborating with engineering to integrate findings into production systems.
• Stay current with the latest ML and generative AI research, pragmatically adapting state-of-the-art methods to real use cases.
• Work directly with company leadership to align research directions with strategic initiatives and ensure tangible, real-world impact.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field (required).
• 3+ years of full-time, hands-on ML/AI research experience (academic or industry).
• Demonstrated expertise or ongoing research in AI agents or generative AI.
• Proficiency with PyTorch or JAX, and experience in fine-tuning, evaluation design, and LLM-powered agent experimentation.
• Strong software engineering skills in Python, TypeScript, shell scripting, and cloud environments.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written.
• Scrappy, self-sufficient, and comfortable working independently with minimal guidance.

Bonus Points

• Proven track record: shipped models/agents, open-source projects, or publications.
• Experiences with knowledge graph, search engine, information retrieval, natural language processing, multimodal AI.

Compensation

Base Salary:$60,000 – $90,000 (San Francisco benchmark, prorated for part-time)

This is acontract-to-conversionrole, starting as a 3-month part-time contract (20 hrs/week) with the potential to transition into a longer-term or full-time position.

In addition to base compensation, this role includestoken incentives, designed to align with the long-term success of the ZetaChain network. We believe in building together and sharing in the growth of the ecosystem.

Find out more aboutcareers at ZetaChainand ourCulture of Excellence.