ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Senior Researcher Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Fujitsu

Senior Researcher

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$115K - $147K/yr

Researcher in Self-Improving Machine Learning We are seeking creative and intellectually ambitious researchers to join our multidisciplinary Self-Improving ML team in Silicon Valley. Our goal is to ...

Chapman University

Senior Research Scientist

Orange, CA · On-site

$85K - $90K/yr

Position Summary Information Summary Senior Researcher Scientist will conduct advanced scientific research investigating the area of agency, intentions, and artificial intelligence. The position ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsResearcher JobsSenior Researcher JobsSenior Researcher Jobs in California

Senior Researcher information

See California salary details

$28.1K

$75.6K

$135.7K

How much do senior researcher jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior researcher in California is $75,604.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $49,300.00 and $97,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a senior researcher?

Senior Researchers are experienced professionals who lead and oversee research projects within their field of expertise. They are responsible for designing studies, analyzing data, mentoring junior researchers, and publishing findings in academic journals or industry reports. Their work often involves securing funding, collaborating with other experts, and ensuring research meets ethical and methodological standards. Senior Researchers play a crucial role in advancing knowledge and innovation within their organizations or institutions.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a senior researcher?

To thrive as a Senior Researcher, you need advanced analytical skills, subject matter expertise, and typically a PhD or equivalent experience in your field. Familiarity with specialized research software, statistical analysis tools, and data management systems is often required. Strong critical thinking, leadership, and effective communication skills help in managing projects and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams. These competencies are vital for driving innovative research, securing funding, and generating impactful results.

How does a senior researcher typically collaborate with junior team members and cross-functional departments?

Senior Researchers often play a mentorship role, guiding junior researchers through project design, data analysis, and publication processes. They frequently collaborate with cross-functional teams such as product development, data science, or policy groups to align research objectives with organizational goals. This often involves regular meetings, sharing insights, and ensuring research findings are effectively translated into actionable strategies. Strong communication and leadership skills are essential for fostering a collaborative, innovative environment.

What is the difference between Senior Researcher vs Research Scientist?

AspectSenior ResearcherResearch Scientist
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's degree, extensive research experienceMaster's or PhD, specialized research skills
Work EnvironmentAcademic, corporate, or government labs; leading projectsResearch-focused roles in labs, industry, or academia
Employer & Industry UsageUniversities, research institutes, corporationsResearch institutions, biotech, tech companies
Common Search & ComparisonSenior ResearcherResearch Scientist

The main difference between a Senior Researcher and a Research Scientist lies in experience level and scope of responsibilities. Senior Researchers often lead projects and mentor junior staff, while Research Scientists focus on conducting specialized research. Both roles require advanced degrees and research expertise, but Senior Researchers typically have more leadership duties and broader project oversight.

What are the most commonly searched types of Researcher jobs in California?

The most popular types of Researcher jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Senior Researcher jobs in California?

For Senior Researcher jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Senior Researcher jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Senior Researcher jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Senior Researcher jobs?

Cities in California with the most Senior Researcher job openings:

Senior Researcher jobs near you
Infographic showing various Senior Researcher job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 82% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 73% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 23% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,604 per year, or $36.3 per hour.

Senior Researcher

Fujitsu

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

$115K - $147K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Retirement

Posted 17 days ago

Job description

Santa Clara, California
Location Flexibility: Primary Location Only
Req Id: 11232
Posting Start Date: 8/25/26
At Fujitsu, we are driven by our purpose to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation.
We have been a pioneer in technology and innovation for over 80 years, and we are committed to using our expertise to help businesses and organizations transform for the digital age. We believe that digital transformation is essential to creating a more sustainable future. That's why we are working with our customers to develop solutions that can help them reduce their environmental impact, improve their efficiency, and create a more equitable society.
We are committed to contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are a blueprint for a better future for all, and we believe that technology can play a vital role in achieving them.
If you share our passion for making a meaningful impact on the world, we invite you to join our global family of 130,000 employees spanning more than 50 countries. We are a diverse workforce, and we offer a wide range of opportunities for you to grow and develop your career.
Together, we can create a more sustainable future for all.
Researcher in Self-Improving Machine Learning
We are seeking creative and intellectually ambitious researchers to join our multidisciplinary Self-Improving ML team in Silicon Valley.
Our goal is to develop AI systems that can improve how AI itself is built. We study fundamental questions at the intersection of learning, generalization, data, and automated discovery:
  • What determines whether a model generalizes beyond its training data?
  • How can an AI system identify or generate the data it needs to improve?
  • Can we automate the creation of new models, learning algorithms, and research ideas?

Our team brings together researchers from different disciplines like math, neuroscience, physics and computer science. Rather than expecting everyone to fit the same profile, we look for people who can contribute a strong perspective while collaborating across disciplines.
This role is particularly suited to researchers who enjoy pursuing deep, open-ended questions, building and testing unconventional ideas, and translating fundamental research into working AI systems.
Responsibilities
Researchers have substantial freedom to develop new directions based on their interests and the evolving needs of the program. These are some exaples of possible research directions:
  • Develop and prototype algorithms that enable AI systems to improve their models, learning strategies, data, or problem-solving processes.
  • Investigate the relationship between training data and generalization, including methods for automatically selecting, generating, or refining data.
  • Explore approaches for automating elements of creativity, scientific discovery, and ML research.
  • Design rigorous experiments to evaluate novel hypotheses and understand why methods succeed or fail.

Essential Qualifications
  • PhD, or near completion of a PhD, in machine learning, computer science, neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, physics, or a related field.
  • A demonstrated ability to develop original ideas or substantially improve existing methods, as shown through research publications, projects, or comparable accomplishments.
  • Strong interest in fundamental questions involving learning, generalization, data, automated discovery, or self-improving systems.
  • Ability to independently formulate and pursue a research direction and carry a long-term project from hypothesis to experimental validation.
  • Experience with at least one deep-learning framework, such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
  • Strong collaboration skills and enthusiasm for working with researchers from different technical backgrounds.
  • Ability to communicate research ideas clearly and translate them into well-designed experiments and reliable implementations.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience conducting interdisciplinary research.
  • Expertise that complements conventional ML research, such as neuroscience, mathematics, statistics, physics, optimization, or automated scientific discovery.
  • Experience developing high-performance implementations of deep-learning algorithms.
  • Experience with large-scale experimentation or distributed training and inference.
  • Experience mentoring researchers, students, or engineers.

Fujitsu salaries are aligned to the specific geographic location in which the work is primarily performed. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the circumstances of each situation. The pay range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to: specific skills, qualifications, experience, and comparison to other employees already in this role. The pay range for this position is estimated at $133,280 to $190,400 USD. Additionally, this role may be eligible for a short-term incentive based on company results and individual performance.
As a technology company, Fujitsu recognizes that human resources are its most important capital. To create an environment where all employees can work positively and healthily, both in mind and body, we offer a full range of health, 401K, and other benefits.
#Americas_Priority
Relocation Supported: Yes
Visa Sponsorship Approved: Yes

Apply