Machine Learning Researcher, Multimodal LLMs
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Before you apply
Salary$180k – $260k
LocationSan Francisco
Work modehybrid
Typefull-time
SenioritySenior
DepartmentEngineering
EquityIncluded
Company size51–200 people
PostedApr 21, 2026 · 6mo ago
Verified live3d ago
May no longer be actively hiring
Posted by the company on Apr 21, 202671% of this company's open roles have been listed for 90+ days
At a glanceSummarised by Seekless from the posting.
Experience with LLMs, multimodal models, or speech-language systems
Deep understanding of prompting, fine-tuning, and alignment techniques
Familiarity with neural audio codecs and modern multimodal LLM techniques
Go from idea → dataset → experiment → conclusion in days
Know how to design experiments that actually answer the question
Strong sense for what makes an interaction feel natural vs robotic
Ability to translate abstract modeling ideas into user-facing improvements
Take ownership from research through deployment
Thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
Care about impact, not just elegance
Think in systems, not just models
Obsess over latency, correctness, and real-world behavior
Comfortable discarding ideas quickly when data disagrees
Push toward simple abstractions for complex problems
Experience with real-time voice systems or conversational AI
Background in tool-using agents or agent frameworks
Experience with multimodal datasets (audio + text + actions)
Contributions to LLM or speech-related research or open source
Equal opportunity employer statement
Participates in E-Verify employment verification program
All new hires required to complete Form I-9
Skills
LLM
Multimodal
Prompting
Fine-tuning
Alignment
Neural Audio Codecs
Multimodal LLM
Speech-language
Tool-using agents
Agent frameworks
Python
Benefits
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Equity
Machine Learning Researcher, Multimodal LLMs
Location: San Francisco, CA or Remote
About Bland
At Bland.com, our mission is to empower enterprises to build AI phone agents at scale. Voice is quickly becoming the primary interface between businesses and their customers, and we are building the models and infrastructure that make those interactions feel natural, reliable, and genuinely human.
We’ve raised $100M from leading investors including Emergence Capital, Scale Venture Partners, Y Combinator, and founders of Twilio, Affirm, and ElevenLabs.
The Role
We are looking for someone to contribute to the development of our next-generation multimodal LLM stack, combining speech, text, tools, and real-time reasoning into a single unified system. You’ll be responsible for building industry-leading conversational AI models that power Bland’s agent, and taking them all the way from idea to production.
At Bland, we’re not just thinking about text modeling. You will define how our agents listen, think, and act in real time, integrating streaming audio, tool execution, and dynamic context into a single coherent system. You will take ideas from research through production systems serving millions of calls per day.
What Makes You a Great Fit
Strong LLM / Multimodal Background
•
Experience with LLMs, multimodal models, or speech-language systems
•
Deep understanding of prompting, fine-tuning, and alignment techniques
•
Familiarity with neural audio codecs and modern multimodal LLM techniques
Fast Experimental Loop
•
You can go from idea → dataset → experiment → conclusion in days
•
You know how to design experiments that actually answer the question
Product Intuition
•
Strong sense for what makes an interaction feel natural vs robotic
•
Ability to translate abstract modeling ideas into user-facing improvements
Builder Mentality
•
You take ownership from research through deployment
•
You thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
•
You care about impact, not just elegance
How You Show Up
Hiring process
•
You think in systems, not just models
•
You obsess over latency, correctness, and real-world behavior
•
You are comfortable discarding ideas quickly when data disagrees
•
You push toward simple abstractions for complex problems
Bonus Points
•
Experience with real-time voice systems or conversational AI
•
Background in tool-using agents or agent frameworks
•
Experience with multimodal datasets (audio + text + actions)
•
Contributions to LLM or speech-related research or open source
Compensation & Benefits
•
Competitive salary: $160,000 – $280,000
•
Meaningful equity
•
Full healthcare, dental, vision
•
Office in Levi’s Plaza, SF
•
High autonomy, high impact
Additional Information
Bland is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to proving equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees and do not discriminate based on any legally protected characteristic.
Bland participates in the E-Verify employment verification program. All new hires are required to complete the Form I-9, and employment will be verified though E-Verify as part of the onboarding process.