Research Scientist IV

Role: Research Scientist IV  
Location: Redmond, WA
Duration: 12 months
Pay: $80-87/hr

Summary:
Reality Labs Research at *** is a leading research organization of world-class researchers, developers, and engineers, who collaborate to actively create a future where virtual and Augmented reality has become as indispensable as today's smartphones and personal computers.
The mission of the Reality Labs Research Audio team is to engineer virtual sounds that are indistinguishable from reality and to redefine human hearing capabilities. Together, these two initiatives will allow us to connect people by creating a sense of shared presence and facilitating conversation in even the most challenging auditory environments.
We are seeking a contract applied research scientist specializing in quantitative audio perception and psychometric assessment. This role is an integral part of our team, contributing to research and development efforts in speech intelligibility, audio quality evaluation, and hearing care technologies.

The ideal candidate will help us design, execute, and analyze perceptual studies that evaluate audio processing algorithms, enabling us to tailor our technologies to meet unique user needs.

Responsibilities
Oversee and drive perceptual evaluation studies, analyze data using statistical methods, and report findings
Design and conduct listening tests using established psychometric paradigms (e.g., adaptive tracking, forced-choice preference, MUSHRA) in both lab and crowdsourced settings
Perform statistical analyses including mixed-effects models, power analysis, effect size estimation, and psychometric function fitting
Monitor problems, facilitate resolution, and proactively keep projects on track
Regularly report on project progress, dependencies, and risks to stakeholders
Support research scientists and engineers within the team with perceptual data collection and analysis
Coordinate with research assistants on study execution, room calibration, and equipment setup
Manage procurement projects for equipment and vendor services
Willingness to "roll up sleeves" and take on operational tasks in support of the team's goals

Minimum Qualifications
Work experience in perceptual or psychophysical research with a track record of successful project completion
Experience with statistical analysis of behavioral data (e.g., mixed-effects models, signal detection theory, psychometric methods)
Interpersonal and communication skills, with strong attention to detail
Proactive with ability to execute on multiple projects simultaneously
Ability to collaborate cross-functionally with team members and individuals throughout the broader organization
Strong organizational and time management skills
Track record of communicating research in an academic or industrial setting
Experience working in a fast-paced research and/or product development environment
Experience with scientific programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, R, or C++
Master's degree or equivalent experience in Computational Neuroscience, Cognitive
Science, Electrical Engineering, Perception, Experimental Psychology, Audio Engineering, Acoustics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Computational Audiology, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with auditory perception, speech intelligibility testing, or hearing science
• Experience with crowdsourced perceptual evaluation platforms (e.g., Prolific, MTurk)
• Experience with audio calibration and acoustic measurement equipment
• PhD degree or equivalent experience
• Experience with independently implementing ML training pipelines, models, and evaluation framework

Must have skills:

• Experience with statistical analysis of behavioral data (e.g., mixed-effects models, signal detection theory, psychometric methods).
• Work experience in perceptual or psychophysical research with a track record of successful project completion.
• Experience with scientific programming languages such as Python, MATLAB, R, or C++

Nice to have skills:

• Advanced Education: PhD degree or equivalent experience.
• AI Experience: Experience with AI generative speech.
• Audio Modeling: Experience with modeling audio quality

Pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants will be considered for assignment with arrest and conviction records. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness, meet client expectations, standards, and accompanying requirements, and safeguard business operations and company reputation.