Principal AI/ML Researcher and Engineer at Airbnb leading research and development of Bayesian learning systems, distributional reinforcement learning, and foundational models. Role involves architecting large-scale probabilistic AI systems, integrating LLMs with reasoning frameworks, and deploying production systems impacting personalization and ranking.
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.
We are seeking a seasoned Principal AI/ML Researcher and Engineer with deep expertise in Bayesian Learning, and Distributional Reinforcement Learning (RL) to lead the advanced research and development of cutting-edge intelligence AI models. These systems will integrate foundational Bayesian frameworks with advanced architectures, including Mixture of Models, multi-pass sharded systems, multitask and multi-objective optimization, and external knowledge incorporation. Additionally, the role involves innovating ways to interoperate and integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) and Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) with Reasoning, Planning, and Decisioning abilities into the Bayesian frameworks to create a seamless foundational model fabric that synergizes with diverse model ecosystems.The role will require ensuring these models and supporting systems perform efficiently at scale, integrating them into live systems that directly impact product and user experience.
Our goal is to build next-generation AI platforms that redefine personalization, decision-making, and intelligence across diverse applications. You will work on developing production-level systems, collaborate with cross-functional teams, and play a pivotal role in shaping our AI/ML strategy.
This role drives Airbnb's evolution toward probabilistic, uncertainty-aware intelligence systems capable of reasoning under ambiguity and learning continuously from dynamic environments. The near-term impact spans improved personalization quality, ranking quality, uncertainty estimation, and adaptive decision-making across guest and host experiences — enabling policy-driven intelligence that handles long-tail discovery, evolving preferences, and complex marketplace dynamics.
Longer term, this role helps establish Airbnb's leadership in adaptive probabilistic intelligence by building the foundational substrate that connects Bayesian learning, reinforcement learning, foundational models, multi-agent orchestration, and large-scale personalization into a unified adaptive architecture — where AI systems continuously balance exploration, exploitation, uncertainty, and ecosystem optimization at scale.
Your Location:
This position is US - Remote Eligible. The role may include occasional work at an Airbnb office or attendance at offsites, as agreed to with your manager. While the position is Remote Eligible, you must live in a state where Airbnb, Inc. has a registered entity. Click here for the up-to-date list of excluded states. This list is continuously evolving, so please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list . If your position is employed by another Airbnb entity, your recruiter will inform you what states you are eligible to work from.
Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:
Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.
We strive to also provide a disability inclusive application and interview process. If you are a candidate with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in order to submit an application, please contact us at: reasonableaccommodations@airbnb.com. Please include your full name, the role you’re applying for and the accommodation necessary to assist you with the recruiting process.
We ask that you only reach out to us if you are a candidate whose disability prevents you from being able to complete our online application.
How We'll Take Care of You:
Our job titles may span more than one career level. The actual base pay is dependent upon many factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. This role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, benefits, and Employee Travel Credits.