Staff Applied Research Engineer

Drata

Applied AI Engineer focusing on enhancing AI systems quality through research and experimentation at Drata. Collaborating with AI Engineers to optimize compliance automation using cutting-edge technologies.

Posted 5/26/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $220,800 - $298,800 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Python

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design and evaluate information access + reasoning strategies across RAG, agents, and classic ML: chunking, embedding models, hybrid search, metadata filtering, structured retrieval, tool use, and multi-step workflows
Prototype GenAI workflows (including agentic systems) that map and reason over compliance objects (controls ↔ risks ↔ requirements)
Explore ML + probabilistic approaches where GenAI is not the best fit: classifiers, ranking models, graph/link prediction, calibration, and weak supervision
Build and maintain evaluation frameworks: golden datasets, automated quality metrics, regression detection
Implement and tune ranking/reranking systems: cross-encoders, LLM-based rerankers, learning-to-rank, custom scoring functions
Run experiments to validate hypotheses and quantify improvements before production rollout
Debug failure modes and build error taxonomies across retrieval, reasoning, and generation
Collaborate with AI and Software Engineers to hand off validated approaches for productionization
Stay current on applied research in RAG, agents, LLM evaluation, and relevance modeling; bring innovations into the product

Requirements

What you’ll need

10+ years of experience in applied research, data science, or ML with a focus on NLP, information retrieval, or knowledge systems
2+ years of hands-on experience building or contributing to production AI/ML systems
Strong foundation in information retrieval: dense and sparse retrieval, embedding models, search relevance
Experience with RAG systems: chunking strategies, vector databases, retrieval optimization
Proficiency in evaluation methodology: metrics design, golden dataset creation, A/B testing, statistical analysis
Strong Python skills and comfort with notebook-driven research workflows
Experience communicating research findings to engineering teams and translating insights into actionable recommendations
Bonus: Experience with compliance, legal, or document-heavy domains
Bonus: Publications or contributions in IR, NLP, or RAG evaluation

Benefits

Comp & perks

Up to 100% employer-paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents
Comprehensive wellness benefits and healthcare concierge services
A comprehensive suite of financial benefits, including a 401(k) plan, company-paid life and disability insurance, tax-advantaged spending accounts, and a range of discounted voluntary offerings
Access to Kindbody fertility and family-building benefits
Paid Parental Leave policy after six months of employment
Generous annual stipends for professional and personal development
Flexible vacation policy, paid holidays, and other perks

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

information retrievalembedding modelschunkingranking modelsgraph predictionweak supervisionevaluation methodologyPythonA/B testingstatistical analysis

Soft Skills

communicationcollaborationproblem-solvingresearchtranslating insights