Applied AI Researcher, Multi-Agent Systems

Job description

ABOUT DISTYL AI Distyl is an applied AI technology company partnering with the world’s most ambitious institutions to rearchitect critical operations for the frontier of AI. Our customers include the largest companies in telecom, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, consumer goods, and global social organizations. We research and deploy technologies that power AI-native operations — both for our partners and for Distyl itself. Our work spans research into self-constructing systems, the development of the most reliable execution of AI systems, and products that transform mission-critical workflows. As a result, Distyl's technologies affect some of the world's largest operations — from hundreds of millions of consumer interactions to tens of millions of supply chain transactions and millions of patient journeys. Distyl is backed by leading investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Coatue, DST Global, and the board-members of 20+ F500s. WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR At Distyl we’re pushing the envelope of AI utilization in enterprise. This requires creative researchers who don’t just want to drive incremental improvements on benchmarks or optimize an existing process but instead are looking to creatively redefine how software is used. Our researchers come from many academic backgrounds but have strong research track records, operate in an AI-native way, and would be bored staying on the rails of a traditional research org. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES - The Multi-Agent Systems team focuses on designing architectures in which multiple agents coordinate to solve problems that require structured interaction across multiple reasoning processes. Researchers build systems that structure communication, route information, and coordinate decision-making across agents operating with different views of the problem - Researchers in Multi-Agent Systems investigate the interaction patterns that govern how agents collaborate. They study how agents exchange information, critique and refine each other’s reasoning, and coordinate execution across complex workflows. Their work identifies the mechanics behind effective communication, delegation, and coordination, in effect establishing the design language for how systems of agents can operate as cohesive, high-performing teams, with capabilities that arise from interaction rather than individual performance. WHAT WE REQUIRE - Built or studied systems where multiple agents collaborate through structured communication, delegation, critique, or iterative coordination. - Experience with agent orchestration, communication protocols, evaluator agents, or systems where multiple agents interact to exchange information, critique reasoning, and coordinate decisions over time - Experience with research in related fields, such as multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), graph neural networks (GNNs), knowledge graphs, mixed-initiative planning, etc. - Excited about making foundational advancements in how agents coordinate, reason and collaborate - Proven Track Record of Research Results: Whether you’ve published in top journals, posted amazing work on twitter, or somewhere else we want to see what you've done. - Uses AI Every Day: Before you can revolutionize someone else’s workflow, you need to revolutionize yours. You should be using tools like ChatGPT, Cursor, and Perplexity to accelerate your workflow. - Strong Programming and Data Analysis Skills: While you might not consider yourself a software engineer you need to be able to build prototypes of your ideas and then perform the experiments to prove the effectiveness to a F500 Head of AI. - Biases Towards Showing vs Telling: Our customers want to see the power of AI today vs discuss the most elegant idea that will take 5 years to realize. WHAT WE OFFER - The base salary range for this role is $150K – $250K, depending on experience, location, and level. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for meaningful equity, along with a comprehensive benefits package - 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and dependents - Flexible time off - Retirement and financial planning benefits, including access to pre-tax HSA, FSA, and commuter accounts, 401(k), and financial coaching resources - Comprehensive wellness benefits, including physical fitness, mental well-being, and fertility and family-building benefits through Carrot - Complimentary in-office lunches and snacks provided - Access to state-of-the-art AI models, generous usage of modern AI tools, and real-world business problems - Ownership of high-impact projects across top enterprises - A mission-driven, fast-moving culture that values curiosity, pragmatism, and excellence Distyl has offices in San Francisco and New York. This role follows a hybrid collaboration model with 3+ days per week (Tuesday–Thursday) in‑office. #LI-Hybrid We believe diverse perspectives make our work stronger and more impactful. We are an equal opportunity employer and evaluate all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.