Principal research engineer

Job Description

At Oracle Analytics, we are building the next generation of enterprise AI products to enable intelligent data analysis at scale. Leveraging our foundational strengths in data management and enterprise software applications, we are advancing our platforms and applications by deeply embedding cutting-edge agentic AI, generative AI, and innovations in machine learning and optimization.

Our AI and Applied Science team is seeking a highly motivated Principal Research Engineer to perform innovation in agent planning, reasoning, and the efficient implementation of multi-step reasoning agents across Oracle's AI Data platform and intelligent applications. In this role, you will research, architect, and prototype nextgeneration agent planning and orchestration techniques (hierarchical planning, tool routing, memory, verification/critique, tree/graph search) and efficiency methods (distillation, quantization, caching, speculative decoding, retrieval) to improve latency, cost, and reliability for enterprise workloads. You will design and implement verifiable, auditable reasoning systems-spanning reasoning traces, intermediate state management, and outcome validation-to drive trustworthy outcomes in production. Partnering closely with applied scientists, research engineers, and product teams, you will take solutions from lab to production, delivering measurable impact in globally scaled intelligent applications.

This role requires deep expertise in agentic and generative AI with a strong focus on planning and multi-step reasoning. Hands-on proficiency with modern ML/LLM stacks (e.g., Python, PyTorch/JAX, transformers, vector stores, orchestration frameworks) and systems performance techniques (KV-cache management, batching, routing, parallelization) is a must. Familiarity with post-training/fine-tuning (RLHF/RLAIF, DPO, PEFT), alignment and guardrails, and symbolic-neural hybrid methods is encouraged to partner effectively with modeling and platform teams.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with applied scientists and research engineers to architect, develop, and evaluate agent planning and multi-step reasoning solutions that meet enterprise requirements for accuracy, cost, and latency.

• Design and implement agent planning algorithms (hierarchical/task decomposition, tree-of-thought/graph search, self-consistency/debate/critique, scheduler/executor patterns) and robust tool-use orchestration with verification and fallback strategies.

• Build scalable, production-grade inference and orchestration pipelines (retrieval, function calling, memory, streaming, caching) with strong observability, tracing, and telemetry for reasoning steps and tool interactions.

• Develop efficiency techniques (distillation/quantization, speculative decoding, adaptive routing, KV-cache and batching strategies) to optimize throughput and stability under real-world traffic.

• Instrument rigorous evaluation frameworks for reasoning quality and robustness

• Partner with data engineers on data collection/curation/annotation guidelines for reasoning and tool-use training signals (traces, plans, critiques, rewards).

• Work closely with product and platform teams to ship secure, compliant, and reliable capabilities into applications;

• Identify new opportunities for scientific exploration and evaluate emerging planning/reasoning technologies; communicate findings and best practices across teams.

• Maintain solid understanding of industry trends and developments in agentic AI, reasoning, and efficient LLM systems.

Qualifications and Experience:

• PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field

• Experience in AI/Generative AI/Machine Learning in an industry setting, with emphasis on agent planning and multi-step reasoning.

• Publication record in first-tier venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, ACL, EMNLP, NAACL) is a plus.

• Hands-on experience taking reasoning-centric systems from prototype to production, including tool-enabled agents, retrieval-augmented reasoning, and verifiable execution with auditability and guardrails.

• Strong understanding of state-of-the-art LLMs and agent frameworks, including planning/decomposition methods, tool routing, memory architectures, and reliability/safety techniques.

• Practical expertise with efficiency methods: model distillation, quantization, PEFT/LoRA, speculative decoding, KV-cache optimization, batching/throughput tuning, and routing/MoE.

• Proficiency in Python and modern ML stacks (PyTorch/JAX, Hugging Face/Transformers, vector databases), with solid software engineering skills for production systems; experience with TypeScript for tool interfaces or orchestration UIs is a plus.

• Experience with evaluation of reasoning quality and robustness, including benchmark design, rubric-based scoring, and A/B experimentation; familiarity with datasets such as GSM8K, MATH, HotpotQA, and SWE-bench is a plus.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills; strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.

• Familiarity with alignment methods (RLHF/RLAIF, DPO), safety/guardrail configuration, and compliance/security best practices for enterprise AI.

Career Level - IC4

Disclaimer:

Certain US customer or client-facing roles may be required to comply with applicable requirements, such as immunization and occupational health mandates.

Range and benefit information provided in this posting are specific to the stated locations only

US: Hiring Range in USD from: $96,800 to $223,400 per annum. May be eligible for bonus and equity.

Oracle maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions and locations, as well as reflect Oracle's differing products, industries and lines of business.

Candidates are typically placed into the range based on the preceding factors as well as internal peer equity.

Oracle US offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes the following:

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion

Short term disability and long term disability

Life insurance and AD&D

Supplemental life insurance (Employee/Spouse/Child)

Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts

Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits

401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match

Paid time off: Flexible Vacation is provided to all eligible employees assigned to a salaried (non-overtime eligible) position. Accrued Vacation is provided to all other employees eligible for vacation benefits. For employees working at least 35 hours per week, the vacation accrual rate is 13 days annually for the first three years of employment and 18 days annually for subsequent years of employment. Vacation accrual is prorated for employees working between 20 and 34 hours per week. Employees working fewer than 20 hours per week are not eligible for vacation.

11 paid holidays

Paid sick leave: 72 hours of paid sick leave upon date of hire. Refreshes each calendar year. Unused balance will carry over each year up to a maximum cap of 112 hours.

Paid parental leave

Adoption assistance

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Financial planning and group legal

Voluntary benefits including auto, homeowner and pet insurance

The role will generally accept applications for at least three calendar days from the posting date or as long as the job remains posted.

Career Level - IC4

About Us

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