Research Scientist, Future Product Innovation
Los Altos, CA
Human-Centered AI – Human-Centered AI /
Full-time /
Hybrid
At Toyota Research Institute (TRI), we’re on a mission to improve the quality of human life. We’re developing new tools and capabilities to amplify the human experience. To lead this transformative shift in mobility, we’ve built a world-class team in Robotics, Human-Centered AI, Human Interactive Driving, and Energy & Materials.
Within TRI, the Future Product Innovation team seeks to reinvent how products are brought to market in large organizations. To do this, we explore (1) new ways of understanding what consumers want, (2) the psychological process of ideation and new affordances for interventions through GenAI, and (3) new ways of bringing the perspectives of different collaborators from design to engineering to strategy together through AI mediated tools. We demonstrate advances in machine learning, physiological sensing, and human-computer interaction to support human decision-making.
The Future Product Innovation team is looking for a Research Scientist interested in the intersection of generative AI and engineering design. We are an integrated team of behavioral scientists, ML researchers, and human-computer interaction experts. Our team works with many Toyota stakeholders, including vehicle engineering, design, and strategy. Candidates should be self-starting and capable of making technical contributions within a multidisciplinary team project.
Responsibilities
- Conduct exciting high-risk, high-reward research at the intersection of AI, Design, and Engineering
- Collaborate with specialists in multiple fields, as well as university partners, to develop new ideas
- Integrate their research into software being developed by other HCAI researchers and engineers
- Publish findings in top academic journals and/or conferences
- Contribute to technology transfer of research throughout Toyota
- Ability to work independently as part of a team
Qualifications
- PhD in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent
- Experience with industry-standard design and engineering tools/methodologies
- Strong research background, including top-tier peer-reviewed publications in any of the following topics (Computational Design, Artificial Intelligence)
- Strong interpersonal skills and a great teammate
- Strong prototyping skills to implement and demonstrate their research
- Appetite to learn across functions (e.g., research and business)
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience in use-inspired basic research and/or applying academic research in an industry setting
- Experience applying machine learning models to analyze large 2D/3D datasets
- Experience building off of state-of-the-art GenAI tools
- Interdisciplinary research experience, including artificial intelligence, design, engineering, or creativity
Please add a link to Google Scholar and include a full list of publications when submitting your CV to this position.
The pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $151,800 and $210,000/year for California-based roles; however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Note that TRI offers a generous benefits package (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave) and an annual cash bonus structure. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
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