"Assistant Research Scientist AI Safety Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence (Computer Science Division)"

Position overview

Salary range: The UC academic salary scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the following table for the salary scale for this position: https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/_files/2025-26/represented-july-2025-scales/t14-b.pdf
The current base salary range for this position is $124,200 - $156,000

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start: Spring 2026

Position duration: One year with the possibility of an extension depending on performance and continuation of appropriate funding.

Application Window

Open date: January 13, 2026

Next review date: Wednesday, Jan 28, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Monday, Feb 16, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time)
Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

Description:
The Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence at University of California, Berkeley seeks an Assistant Research Scientist to conduct and lead research in the domain of AI safety and well-founded AI.

Responsibilities:
The candidate will conduct and lead research on AI safety and well-founded AI, including: reinforcement learning, AI planning, state abstraction, action abstraction, world modeling, decision-making under partial observability, and methods for analyzing and interpreting learned representations. Research will include developing novel decision-making models and algorithms with strong theoretical foundations, conducting rigorous empirical testing and evaluation of these models and algorithms, and establishing formal frameworks for safe and aligned AI systems.

The candidate will author peer-reviewed articles, lead multiple research projects, mentor PhD students and other junior researchers, set research directions, write technical papers and reports, and present at research conferences and academic labs. The candidate will facilitate collaborations both within and beyond UC Berkeley.

Labor Contract: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/ra/contract.html

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)
PhD or equivalent international degree.

Preferred qualifications
- PhD in computer science, mathematics, statistics, or related field
- Expertise in reinforcement learning, planning, and decision-making under uncertainty
- Experience with one or more of: state abstraction, temporal abstraction, model-based methods, partial observability, or interpretability of learned representations
- Fluency in at least one non-technical discipline such as cognitive science, philosophy, social science, or policy development
- Strong publication record at top-tier conferences and journals
- Experience conducting and leading full-time research
- Experience organizing and reviewing for conferences and workshops
- Demonstrated creativity and problem-solving skills
- Experience mentoring graduate students or other junior researchers
- Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for implementing and testing algorithms
- Experience with PyTorch, JAX, NumPy, SciPy, and other machine learning libraries
- Experience developing open-source research software or AI benchmarks

Application Requirements

Document requirements
* Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.
* Research Statement - Please discuss research accomplishments and proposed plans. This can include, for example, your publication record, awards, presentations, inclusive research practices that promote the excellence of your research, and areas for future research.

Reference requirements
* 3 required (contact information only)

Apply link: https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05239

Help contact: albertom@berkeley.edu

Job location
Berkeley, CA