Research Engineer Jobs in Raleigh, NC (NOW HIRING)

Who We Are:

At Bandwidth, we shape how the world connects. We're the global communications software company and Tier 1 network operator with global reach.  The voice, messaging, and emergency services infrastructure behind the brands and apps you use every day.

Because we own the network we build on, the problems you'll solve here are bigger, more complex, and more impactful. And as communications shifts to AI, we're the infrastructure layer making it possible.

We call ourselves BANDmates because building something this big takes collaboration, different perspectives, and the freedom to bring your authentic self to the table.

We're experts who speak like humans. Ready to build what's next? #JoinTheBand

What We Are Looking For:

Bandwidth's Research & Development (R&D) team is at the forefront of exploring and harnessing transformative technologies to define the next generation of communication experiences. We operate as a small, agile, and T-shaped group, diving deep into emerging areas like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. We're seeking a highly motivated AI/ML Engineer to join this dynamic team in our Raleigh, NC headquarters.

You thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where you can rapidly iterate on ideas and prototypes. You have a startup mentality, comfortable with ambiguity and driven by a relentless curiosity to explore, build, and learn. If you're passionate about applying cutting-edge AI/ML, especially Large Language Models (LLMs), to solve real-world problems and shape future products, this is the role for you. This position requires working full-time from our Raleigh office.

What You'll Do:

• Dive deep into the latest AI/ML research, particularly in the LLM space, identifying opportunities relevant to Bandwidth's domain.
• Design, build, and test proof-of-concepts and prototypes for novel AI-powered features and services.
• Implement and integrate AI/ML models, including those based on LLMs, into potential future Bandwidth offerings.
• Collaborate intensely within a small, cross-functional R&D team, sharing knowledge and contributing to a T-shaped skill set.
• Experiment with various AI techniques, including advanced prompting strategies, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and potentially agentic systems.
• Stay constantly updated on the rapidly evolving AI landscape, evaluating new tools, models, and methodologies.
• Leverage LLM-powered IDEs and development tools (like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.) to accelerate the innovation cycle.
• Clearly articulate and present research findings, experiment results, and prototype demonstrations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

What You Need:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, AI, ML, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Demonstrable expertise and hands-on experience in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, with deep knowledge in at least one specific AI domain (e.g., NLP, LLMs, Speech Recognition).
• Proven experience (typically 3+ years) designing, building, and evaluating AI/ML models and systems.
• Strong programming skills, particularly in Python and familiarity with common ML libraries/frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, Hugging Face).
• Solid understanding and practical experience with Large Language Models (LLMs) and associated concepts, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and various prompting techniques (e.g., Zero-shot, Few-shot, Chain of Thought).
• Experience implementing services or applications built on top of foundational LLMs (via APIs or open-source models).
• Proven ability to thrive in a small, highly collaborative team environment with an urgent, results-oriented culture. Significant experience in startups or similar fast-moving, resource-constrained organizations is highly desirable.
• A relentless curiosity and passion for exploring new technologies and techniques in the AI/ML space.
• Experience using LLM-powered IDEs or coding assistants.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Must be able to work full-time from the Bandwidth headquarters in Raleigh, NC.

Bonus Points:

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, AI, ML, or a related field.
• Experience with LLM training, fine-tuning (e.g., LoRa), and/or developing custom evaluation benchmarks.
• Familiarity with advanced AI architectures and concepts such as agentic systems (e.g., ReAct), multi-modal models, Mixture of Experts (MoE), or LLM tooling/external capabilities.
• Experience with MLOps practices and cloud-based ML platforms (e.g., AWS SageMaker, Azure ML, Google AI Platform).
• Familiarity with AI Developer and Agentic Frameworks (e.g., OpenAI, LangChain, CrewAI, Autogen)
• Experience contributing to AI/ML research, publications, or open-source projects.

The Whole Person Promise:

At Bandwidth, we're pretty proud of our corporate culture, which is rooted in our "Whole Person Promise." We promise all employees that they can have meaningful work AND a full life, and we provide a work environment geared toward enriching your body, mind, and spirit. How do we do that? Well...

• 100% company-paid Medical, Vision, & Dental coverage for you and your family with low deductibles and low out-of-pocket expenses.
• All new hires receive four weeks of PTO.
• PTO Embargo. When you take time off (of any kind!) you're embargoed from working. Bandmates and managers are not allowed to interrupt your PTO - not even with email.
• Additional PTO can be earned throughout the year through volunteer hours and Bandwidth challenges.
• "Mahalo moments" program grants additional time off for life's most important moments like graduations, buying a first home, getting married, wedding anniversaries (every five years), and the birth of a grandchild.
• 90-Minute Workout Lunches and unlimited meetings with our very own nutritionist.