[Hiring] Research Scientist II – Deepfake Detection & Authentication @Pindrop

Role Description

As a Research Scientist II on our core Research team, you will independently drive research initiatives, deliver reproducible experimental results, and help translate machine learning models into real-world product solutions across deepfake video, deepfake audio, and voice/identity authentication. In this role, you will:

• Conduct research to develop new functionalities and improve existing technologies for synthetic media detection, multimodal deepfake identification (audio and video), and real-time identity authentication.
• Design, implement, and evaluate deep learning algorithms related to audio-visual deepfake detection, speech synthesis detection, facial manipulation analysis, and biometric authentication.
• Design, develop, and maintain internal research packages and pipelines to train, evaluate, and benchmark ML models, ensuring computational efficiency and absolute reproducibility.
• Partner closely with research engineers and engineering teams to transition complex research prototypes into efficient, scalable, production-ready systems across cloud and edge platforms.
• Support targeted investigations by analyzing model behavior, edge cases, attack vectors, and detection gaps, turning insights into measurable improvements in model robustness.
• Participate in regular code and research reviews, cross-functional project syncs, and contribute to patents and peer-reviewed papers for top-tier computer vision, speech, audio, and machine learning conferences.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related quantitative field (or equivalent industry research experience).
• 3+ years of professional or post-graduate research experience in Deep Learning, with a dedicated focus on at least one core area: computer vision (facial analysis, video processing), speech/audio processing (speaker recognition, speech synthesis detection), or voice biometrics and identity authentication.
• Hands-on research experience in audio-visual deepfake detection, synthetic media identification, or multimodal biometric verification.
• Strong programming proficiency in Python with a proven ability to build, maintain, and structure reproducible research tooling, experimentation frameworks, or evaluation workflows.
• Hands-on mastery of modern machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, or Keras.
• A proven track record of successful, timely project delivery and the ability to translate research findings into practical improvements, supported by peer-reviewed publications or patent contributions.

Requirements

• Functional programming experience in C/C++ or familiarity with model optimization and deployment tools (e.g., ONNX, TensorRT, TF-Lite, Go).
• Practical experience with real-time streaming video or audio processing pipelines and large-scale synthetic data generation/augmentation.
• Experience competing in or leveraging benchmarks from prominent challenges (e.g., DFDC, ASVspoof, NIST SRE/FRVT, Kaggle).
• Familiarity with natural language processing (NLP), foundational multimodal architectures, or sequence modeling applied to authentication and spoofing detection.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package, including RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) for all employees, so everyone shares in our long-term success.
• Remote-first environment - giving you flexibility and autonomy in how you structure your day.
• While we work flexibly, we prioritize meaningful in-person moments through regular team on-sites, company-wide events, and intentional gatherings that foster connection, collaboration, and shared success.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO).
• Generous health and welfare plans to choose from - including one employer-paid “employee-only” plan!
• Best-in-class Health Savings Account (HSA) employer contribution.
• Low-cost vision and dental plans for you and your family, providing comprehensive coverage and peace of mind.
• Paid Parental Leave - Including birth, adoptive & foster parents.
• One year of diaper delivery for your newest addition to the family!
• Recurring monthly phone and internet allowance to help cover essential connectivity costs and support flexible work.
• Enhanced fertility and GLP-1 benefits to support family-building journeys and personalized health needs.
• Annual Learning & Development stipend to support your professional growth, skill-building, certifications, and continued education.