Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer

Job Title: Senior Machine Learning Research Engineer

Location: Remote

About Us

At Pearson, were dedicated to transforming education through innovative solutions. As a global leader in learning, we leverage our expertise, passion, and extensive reach to address complex educational challenges and foster a lifelong love of learning. Were seeking talented individuals like you to join our mission. Together, we can revolutionize education and create opportunities for billions of learners worldwide.

The Applied ML Research Team is focused on maintaining and extending Pearsons leadership in automated writing analysis for formative, interim, and summative assessment product markets. Together with our Operational Delivery and ML Platform teams, we develop advanced machine learning systems that analyze and score tens of millions of learner exam responses annually. Our technology delivers quick, meaningful insights into student performance on standardized tests, supporting educators, students, and parents in their teaching and learning journeys. Join us to make a significant impact on education while pushing the boundaries of what current technology can solve.

Job Description

We are “full stack” researchers who take end-to-end responsibility for research and development of machine learning capabilities. As a Machine Learning Research Engineer, you will play a key role in advancing our research agenda around automated writing assessment. This is a fully remote position, allowing you to work from anywhere within the United States while collaborating with a diverse team.

In this role you will:

Lead end-to-end design of machine learning and AI based capabilities

Ideate, design, research and develop natural language processing and machine learning features, products and services

Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g. software engineers, product managers, subject matter experts, learning scientists and interaction designers)

Build and maintain software components (pipelines, APIs)

Design experiments and build datasets to monitor, evaluate and improve new and existing ML/AI models and services

Communicate model performance to technical and non-technical audiences

Stay up-to-date and share latest advancements in natural language processing, machine learning and educational technology

Publish research papers in machine learning and educational science conferences and journals.

Mentor others in best practices

An ideal candidate will have:

A masters degree in a quantitative field (CS, EE, statistics, math) or equivalent work experience

Four or more years with practical experience in developing natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning models

A proven track-record in developing novel, AI/ML-backed solutions

Proficiency with deep learning techniques and common frameworks such as PyTorch or Tensorflow

Solid software engineering fundamentals (version control, object-oriented and functional programming, database and API access patterns, testing)

A strong understanding of approaches to evaluating NLP and ML task performance

Familiarity with cloud platforms and infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure) and distributed computing

A dedication to ensuring equitable access to quality education and enhancing learning experiences for all students.

Bonus Qualifications:

Familiarity with latest advancements in large language models (LLMs), generative AI, active learning and/or reinforcement learning

Background in any of the following: education, learning sciences, cognitive science, psychometrics

Experience with automated scoring of writing, generation of feedback and/or discourse analysis

Facility with containerized technologies such as Docker, Podman and/or Kubernetes

Ability to utilize data creatively and effectively to define new machine learning tasks

Publication history in relevant conferences and workshops (ACL, NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, AI in Education, Intelligent Tutoring Systems)

We understand that not every candidate will meet all these qualifications. If you are excited about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. We are committed to finding the right person for our team and providing opportunities for growth and development.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by many factors including skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the Colorado, California, Washington State, New York State and New York City laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:

The minimum full-time salary range is between $140k – $150k

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULLTIME

Workplace Type: Remote

Req ID: 17042

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