Research Engineer / Scientist (3D Tech Lead)
$250k - $350k • San Francisco
Posted 20d ago
Remote Work Policy
On-site
Categories
AI Research Engineer
About the job
World Labs is a frontier AI research and product company focused on spatial intelligence, co-founded by Dr. Fei-Fei Li, Justin Johnson, and Ben Mildenhall. The company is developing world models that can perceive, generate, reason, and interact with virtual and physical worlds, with its flagship product Marble transforming text, images, and video into navigable 3D worlds. Backed by leading investors, World Labs is building a world-class team at the intersection of AI research and real-world deployment.
We are seeking a Tech Lead for 3D Modeling & Reconstruction to define technical direction and drive execution for our core 3D modeling efforts. This hands-on leadership role requires a strong research science or engineering background with significant contributions to 3D reconstruction and/or modeling. You will combine deep technical expertise with the ability to guide a high-impact team, shaping both the research roadmap and production systems.
Responsibilities
- Set the technical vision and roadmap for 3D modeling and reconstruction, balancing research exploration with product-driven milestones.
- Lead the design and implementation of state-of-the-art 3D modeling systems, covering geometry, appearance, and scene-level representations.
- Drive innovation in modern 3D modeling approaches, including learning-based and optimization-based methods, focusing on robustness, scalability, and real-world data.
- Guide architectural decisions for 3D representations, training pipelines, and inference systems, ensuring integration with broader 3D data and rendering platforms.
- Lead and mentor a team of research scientists and/or research engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering a culture of rigor.
- Own end-to-end execution of key initiatives, from research prototypes to production deployment.
- Collaborate with cross-functional partners to align 3D modeling capabilities with product needs and quality standards.
- Represent the team's work internally and externally, potentially contributing to publications or open-source efforts.
- Evaluate emerging research and industry trends in 3D modeling and reconstruction, translating promising ideas into actionable plans.
Requirements
- 8+ years of experience in 3D reconstruction, 3D modeling, computer vision, graphics, or related fields.
- Demonstrated impactful contributions through academic publications, influential open-source work, or widely deployed industry products.
- Deep expertise in modern 3D modeling and reconstruction methods, including representation design, optimization strategies, and learning-based approaches.
- Proven experience leading or mentoring a small team or project group with responsibility for technical direction and delivery.
- Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++, with experience building both research prototypes and production systems.
- Hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks and large-scale experimentation or training pipelines.
- Solid understanding of how 3D modeling systems interface with data pipelines, rendering, and downstream applications.
- Comfort operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments and making high-leverage technical decisions with incomplete information.
- High ownership mindset and a product-aware perspective, focusing on reliability, performance, and impact.
- Enjoy collaborating with senior peers and raising the technical bar through example, mentorship, and clear communication.