Research Engineer, Santa Rosa

About Us
Tavus is a research lab pioneering human computing.
We're building AI Humans: a new interface that closes the gap between people and machines, free from the friction of today's systems.
Our real-time human simulation models let machines see, hear, respond, and even look real—enabling meaningful, face-to-face conversations.
AI Humans combine the emotional intelligence of humans with the reach and reliability of machines, making them capable, trusted agents available 24/7, in every language, on our terms.
Imagine a therapist anyone can afford.
A personal trainer that adapts to your schedule.
A fleet of medical assistants that can give every patient the attention they need.
With Tavus, individuals, enterprises, and developers can all build AI Humans to connect, understand, and act with empathy at scale.
We're a Series A company backed by world-class investors including
Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator, and Scale Venture Partners
.
Be part of shaping a future where humans and machines truly understand each other.
The Role
We're hiring a
Senior AI Researcher
to lead research in
audio-visual avatar generation
.
This role is for someone who thrives in ambiguity, has a track record of pushing generative models to new frontiers, and wants to define what human–AI interaction looks like in practice.
Your Mission ??
Lead research efforts on
audio-visual generation
for avatars (Neural Avatars, Talking-Heads), with a focus on conversational settings.
Design models that are coupled with
conversation flow
— capturing and generating verbal + non-verbal signals in sync.
Drive innovation in
diffusion models
, long-video generation, and audio-visual modeling.
Translate research into production by partnering with Applied ML and engineering.
Mentor researchers, set research directions, and publish impactful work.
You'll Bring:
A PhD or equivalent research experience, plus
2–3+ years
of hands-on experience applying generative models at scale.
Expertise in
diffusion models
and awareness of the latest efficiency techniques.
Experience in
multimodal generation
— spanning video, audio, and language.
Proven innovation in
long-video generation
and/or
audio generation
.
Excellent programming skills — fluent in
PyTorch
and GPU-optimized workflows.
Track record of publications in top-tier venues (CVPR, NeurIPS, BMVC, ICASSP, etc.).
Experience
leading research activities
or mentoring teams.
Nice-to-Haves
Skills in
3D graphics, Gaussian splatting
, or large-scale training setups.
Broad exposure to generative AI models beyond your specialty.
Familiarity with software development best practices.
Location
Preferred:
San Francisco (hybrid)
or
London (office opening soon)
.
Remote within
U.S.
or
Europe
considered for exceptional candidates.