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X Moonshot Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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X Moonshot information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an X Moonshot team member, and why are they important?

To thrive as an X Moonshot team member, you need expertise in your technical field (such as engineering, science, or product development) and a strong background in problem-solving and innovation. Proficiency with advanced research tools, rapid prototyping technologies, and familiarity with project management systems is typically required, along with relevant advanced degrees or industry certifications. Exceptional creativity, resilience, and the ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams set standout candidates apart. These skills are crucial for driving breakthrough solutions and navigating the high-risk, high-reward environment of moonshot projects.

What is the difference between X Moonshot vs X Data Scientist?

AspectX MoonshotX Data Scientist
Required CredentialsAdvanced degrees in STEM, specialized certificationsBachelor's or Master's in Data Science, Statistics, or related fields
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, innovation hubs, high-tech companiesCorporate offices, tech firms, consulting agencies
Employer & Industry UsageInnovation-focused organizations, startups, government projectsBusinesses across industries, tech companies, finance, healthcare
Common Search & ComparisonOften compared for roles in cutting-edge projectsCompared for data analysis, modeling, and AI tasks

While X Moonshot focuses on ambitious, groundbreaking projects requiring advanced credentials and innovative environments, X Data Scientist specializes in analyzing data, building models, and deriving insights within corporate or research settings. Both roles are vital in tech and research sectors but differ in scope and focus.

What are some common challenges faced by team members working on moonshot projects at X, and how can they be addressed?

Team members at X working on moonshot projects often encounter challenges related to high uncertainty, rapid experimentation, and ambiguous outcomes. These projects require resilience, adaptability, and comfort with risk, as many ideas may not succeed in their initial form. To address these challenges, X fosters a collaborative environment where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity and cross-disciplinary teamwork is encouraged. Open communication, regular feedback, and access to mentorship help team members navigate setbacks and stay motivated while pursuing groundbreaking solutions.

What are X Moonshot jobs?

X Moonshot jobs refer to positions at X, the innovation lab of Alphabet (Google's parent company), where teams work on ambitious, high-risk projects aimed at solving some of the world's biggest problems through breakthrough technology. Employees in these roles are often tasked with developing, testing, and scaling radical ideas that could become the next major technological advancement. The work environment encourages creativity, experimentation, and resilience, as projects may take years of research and may not always succeed. Typical roles range from engineers and scientists to product managers and operations specialists, all working together to turn seemingly impossible ideas into reality.
More about X Moonshot jobs
What states have the most X Moonshot jobs? States with the most job openings for X Moonshot jobs include:
Infographic showing various X Moonshot job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution.
2026 PhD Residency - Physical ML & Hardware-in-the-Loop (Future of Compute)

2026 PhD Residency - Physical ML & Hardware-in-the-Loop (Future of Compute)

X, the moonshot factory

Mountain View, CA โ€ข On-site

$109K - $157K/yr

Full-time

Posted 25 days ago


Job description

2 0 2 6 P h D R e s i d e n c y - P h y s i c a l M L & H a r d w a r e - i n - t h e - L o o p ( F u t u r e o f C o m p u t e )
Internship Mountain View, CA
Project Goal:This is the flagship moonshot for 'The Future of Compute' at X (the Moonshot Factory). This project is aimed at moving away from simulating physics on digital chips and instead building physical machines whose dynamics ARE the computation itself, achieving a 1,000,000x improvement in useful compute per Joule.
This residency focuses on bridging the gap between physical dynamical systems and machine learning code. Instead of modeling physics in a vacuum, you will work directly with physical silicon test chips and laboratory instrumentation to make them trainable. You will build the software-to-hardware calibration pipelines that demonstrate we can train a real physical substrate to match digital baseline accuracy at a fraction of the energy cost.
How you will make 10x impact:
  • Collaborate on building robust, real-time "hardware-in-the-loop" (HIL) training pipelines that connect active silicon oscillator arrays and memristor test-boards directly to PyTorch/JAX ML frameworks.
  • Independently design and execute experimental protocols to train real physical hardware on machine learning benchmarks (e.g., MNIST, CIFAR) using physics-aware backpropagation and equilibrium propagation.
  • Perform automated, high-velocity physical measurements to characterize non-linear physical dynamics, mapping real hardware output against digital twin simulators to quantify "reality-gap" discrepancies.
  • Analyze the effect of physical device noise, ambient thermal fluctuations, and RRAM resistance drift on live training convergence, and implement software-level algorithmic mitigation strategies (e.g., noise-injection training).
  • Investigate the physical execution of sparse, post-transformer architectures (Mamba-class SSMs) directly on physical neuromorphic arrays by developing physical weight-mapping and routing schemes.
  • Develop clean, reusable software interfaces (using Python, C++, and PyVISA) to automate lab instrumentation, making real-world physical training runs as seamless and reproducible as digital software training.

This project aims to push the limits of science and modeling as we know them and to prove how ML can radically accelerate our understanding of the world
  • Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
  • Start Date(s): Year-round rolling basis
  • Duration: a flexible 4 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability

Throughout your AI Residency you can expect:
  • To be embedded in an agile, confidential project team focused on "Monkey First" thinking-identifying and tackling critical physical risks through immediate, hands-on laboratory iteration.
  • Direct mentorship from experts in neuromorphic systems, mixed-signal test engineering, and physics-aware machine learning.
  • A collaborative environment that values technical rigor, physical measurements, and the willingness to iterate rapidly through "V0.crap" hardware setups.

What you should have:
  • Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related STEM field.
  • Strong hands-on experience in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems, laboratory automation, or writing custom software interfaces (e.g., Python, C++) to control physical instruments (oscilloscopes, parameter analyzers, source-measure units).
  • Proficiency in writing non-standard neural network training loops and custom physical simulator components in PyTorch, JAX, or C++.
  • Solid understanding of physical non-idealities (noise, drift, device-to-device variability) and how to represent them mathematically in training frameworks.
  • Ability to work in a physical laboratory environment, debug electrical setups, and rapidly prototype hardware-software interfaces.

It'd be great if you also had these:
  • Familiarity with non-volatile memory architectures (RRAM/memristors) or active analog coupled-oscillator circuits.
  • Experience in high-velocity characterization of integrated circuits or neuromorphic accelerators.

Additional public information :
https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video
The US base salary range for this position is $109,000 - $157,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at x-accommodation-request@x.team .