Remote opportunity at
SpotifyResearch Scientist - Personalization
Spotify is hiring a Research Scientist for its Personalization research group, which works on the technology that helps listeners discover music and podcasts they enjoy. The…
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About This Role
Spotify is hiring a Research Scientist for its Personalization research group, which works on the technology that helps listeners discover music and podcasts they enjoy. The role is based in London. The posting also describes flexibility to work from home alongside some in-person meetings. The group's work sits behind features such as Blend and Discover Weekly. The research agenda spans large foundation models, generative techniques and post-training work such as…
Job Description
Spotify is hiring a Research Scientist for its Personalization research group, which works on the technology that helps listeners discover music and podcasts they enjoy. The role is based in London. The posting also describes flexibility to work from home alongside some in-person meetings. The group's work sits behind features such as Blend and Discover Weekly.
The research agenda spans large foundation models, generative techniques and post-training work such as reinforcement learning. The scientist would develop new methods, models and evaluation frameworks for personalization systems, design and run careful experiments to test hypotheses, and share findings through publications, talks and conferences. The role also involves partnering across teams so research results can inform long-term product direction, helping shape the research roadmap, and mentoring colleagues.
The posting cites peer-reviewed work at top venues including NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, KDD and RecSys. It asks for hands-on depth in post-training, RL methods for big models, reward design, distributed training at scale, or assessing how models behave. Experience designing experiments and handling real-world data to test research ideas is expected, along with genuine interest in how people use music and talk content.
The posting does not list a salary or benefits, and its compensation section has no details. Spotify describes itself as an equal opportunity employer and says candidates may ask for accommodations at any point during hiring.
Responsibilities
- Carry out original machine learning and AI research centered on large foundation models and generative methods.
- Develop new methods, models and evaluation frameworks for personalization systems.
- Design and run careful experiments to test research hypotheses.
- Publish, speak and attend conferences to share research with the wider community.
- Partner with other teams so findings can inform long-term product direction.
- Help shape the research roadmap in line with personalization strategy.
- Mentor colleagues and nurture a curious, collaborative research environment.
Requirements
- Graduate-level training (master's or doctorate) in machine learning or artificial intelligence, or equivalent research background.
- Peer-reviewed papers at top conferences including NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, KDD and RecSys.
- Strong grounding in ML with hands-on depth in post-training, RL for large models, reward design, distributed training or model behavior evaluation.
- Experience designing experiments and handling real-world data to test research ideas.
- Interest in how people use music and talk content and in improving those experiences.
- Inquisitiveness and inventiveness applied to difficult, loosely defined questions.
- Collaborative mindset that welcomes varied viewpoints.
Core Skills
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers are based only on the employer’s listing; where it doesn’t say, neither do we.
Is this a remote role?
Not fully. The posting says the role is based in London, with some in-person meetings and flexibility to work from home.
What is the salary?
The posting has a compensation heading but does not state a salary or pay range.
What degree is needed?
The posting asks for graduate-level training or equivalent research experience.
Can I request accommodations?
Yes. Spotify says candidates can ask for reasonable accommodations at any point during hiring.
Sample Interview Questions
AI-generated questions tailored to this specific role — a preview of the full practice set.