Member of Technical Staff, Lead Researcher

DoorDash US
San Francisco, Sunnyvale
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeUSD 203,500 - 299,300 annuallyFunction: Research & Scientific (R&D)Education: phdSkills: ["Written communication","Verbal communication","Mentoring","Leadership","Judgment","Cross-functional collaboration"]

Build a new AI Research organization from the ground up and set the research agenda across DoorDash’s marketplace. Lead high-impact ML research end-to-end—from problem framing to publication and real-world deployment—while partnering with ML platform, product, and operations teams. Help hire and mentor researchers, shape research culture and operating model, and translate frontier ideas (agents, memory/personalization, foundation models) into measurable impact for local commerce.

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FursaFursa
DoorDash US
DoorDash US
3 days ago

Member of Technical Staff, Lead Researcher

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Last checked: 3 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Build a new AI Research organization from the ground up and set the research agenda across DoorDash’s marketplace. Lead high-impact ML research end-to-end—from problem framing to publication and real-world deployment—while partnering with ML platform, product, and operations teams. Help hire and mentor researchers, shape research culture and operating model, and translate frontier ideas (agents, memory/personalization, foundation models) into measurable impact for local commerce.
Location: San Francisco, Sunnyvale
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Research & Scientific (R&D)
Seniority: Sr. Manager level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Set the research agenda for one or more areas of DoorDash AI Research in close collaboration with the founding team and leadership.
  • •Lead high-impact research projects end-to-end, from problem framing through publication and production deployment when appropriate.
  • •Help build the team by interviewing, recruiting, and mentoring researchers, engineers, and fellows.
  • •Shape the org’s culture and operating model, including research publishing, collaboration with product teams, and balancing open vs. proprietary work.
  • •Partner across DoorDash ML platform, product, and operations teams to identify high-leverage research bets and translate findings into real-world impact.

Pay and Benefits

Salary: USD 203,500 - 299,300 annually
Equity and Bonus:Equity
Perks:401kParental LeaveHealth InsuranceDentalVisionPaid LeaveWellness StipendCommuter BenefitsDisability InsuranceLife InsurancePaid Holidays

Key Requirements

  • •Strong research track record with first-author publications at top ML venues or equivalent demonstrated output.
  • •Experience leading ambitious research projects end-to-end, from problem framing through results other people can build on.
  • •Taste for identifying high-value problems, recognizing when an approach is exhausted, and judging when results are real.
  • •Builder’s instinct to work close to real systems and real data, not just benchmarks.
  • •Excitement for founding-role responsibilities including hiring, agenda-setting, culture-building, and cross-functional partnering.
Experience:AI researchMachine learningReinforcement learningMultimodal AIMarketplaceLocal commerce
Education:PhD / Doctorate
Skills:Written communicationVerbal communicationMentoringLeadershipJudgmentCross-functional collaboration
Languages:English
Tech Stack:Reinforcement learningLarge-model pre-trainingLarge-model post-trainingEvaluation harnessesRL trainingAgent evaluation

Company Brief

DoorDash US
On-demand logistics platform connecting consumers with local restaurants, grocers, and retailers for food delivery, pickup, and convenience services. Operates a marketplace and last-mile delivery network while offering tools and analytics for merchants and couriers.
Industry: Online Marketplaces
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: San Francisco, United States
Founded: 2013
WebsiteLinkedIn