Machine Learning Fellow - Human Frontier Collective

PLEASE NOTE: This is a fully remote, 1099 independent contractor opportunity with an estimated duration of six months and the potential for extension. To be eligible, candidates must be authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

The Human Frontier Collective (HFC) Fellowship brings together top researchers and domain experts to collaborate on high-impact work that are shaping the future of AI. As an HFC Fellow, you'll apply your academic and professional expertise to help design, evaluate, and interpret advanced generative AI systems—while gaining exposure to cutting‑edge research and working alongside an interdisciplinary network of leading thinkers.

• Collaborative Work: Get invited to engage in high‑impact projects with our partnered AI labs and platforms. Design and review advanced deep learning problems while analyzing and critiquing complex ML code and AI‑generated PyTorch implementations. Apply expert judgment on GPU performance, profiling, and hardware‑aware architecture and scaling trade‑offs.
• HFC Community: Beyond the work, you’ll become part of a supportive, interdisciplinary network of innovators and thought leaders committed to advancing frontier AI across domains.
• Contribute to Research Publications: Collaborate with Scale’s research team to co‑author technical reports and research papers—boosting your academic visibility and professional recognition (e.g., Sci Predict, Propensity Bench, Professional Reasoning Benchmark).

• Advanced degree (PhD or higher) in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, Applied Math, AI/ML, or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience building and fine‑tuning deep learning models in PyTorch, including architectures like Transformers, CNNs, and diffusion models.
• Familiarity with GPU performance and optimization, including memory management, CUDA kernels, and profiling tools.
• Skilled at analyzing research‑level model code and giving clear, actionable feedback.
• Able to clearly explain complex ML behaviors and trade‑offs.

• Professional Development: High‑impact experts expand their influence through review projects, advisory roles, and research—while deepening their AI expertise, strengthening analytical and problem‑solving skills, and engaging with pioneering AI applications in science and technology.
• Join a Top‑Tier Network: Collaborate with a global network of engineers and experts to advance responsible AI through impactful, flexible research and training. 80% of our members come from leading institutions.
• Flexible
  
  Schedule:
  
  Set your own schedule, with flexible 10‑40 hour weeks that fit around your life and other commitments.
• Competitive Pay: Up to $80/hr, based on experience, skills assessment, and location.

PLEASE NOTE: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role. This allows us to ensure a fair and thorough evaluation of all applicants.

At Scale, our mission is to develop reliable AI systems for the world's most important decisions. Our products provide the high‑quality data and full‑stack technologies that power the world's leading models, and help enterprises and governments build, deploy, and oversee AI applications that deliver real impact. We work closely with industry leaders like Meta, Cisco, DLA Piper, Mayo Clinic, Time Inc.,

the Government of Qatar, and U.S. government agencies including the Army and Air Force. We are expanding our team to accelerate the development of AI applications.

We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, which is why we are proud to be an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national…