VP of Research (Machine Learning)

About the Company Our client is a stealth AI startup backed by one of Southeast Asia's leading technology companies and is currently building its global founding team. The company is developing an AI-native communication platform designed to simplify everyday tasks by integrating AI directly into conversations. Instead of switching between multiple applications, users can plan, organize, compare, research, and complete tasks within a single intelligent assistant. Serving a market of billions of users still relying on traditional productivity tools, the platform focuses on delivering reliable AI workflows, persistent context, multi-step reasoning, and seamless task execution. The mission is to create an AI assistant that significantly improves productivity while making everyday work simpler and more intuitive. About the Role Our client is seeking a VP of Research (Machine Learning) to define and lead the research direction behind its AI platform. This leadership role will shape how AI systems reason, learn, evaluate, and continuously improve within a product designed for high-frequency, real-world usage. Working closely with product and engineering leadership, this position will drive the long-term intelligence strategy, balancing cutting-edge research with practical production impact. Key Responsibilities Define and evolve the research roadmap for the platform's core AI intelligence, including context representation, memory, reasoning, planning, and orchestration. Evaluate an