Salesforce

Software Engineering LMTS

Salesforce$172K — $260K *
Enterprise Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a related field.
  • Strong publication record in top-tier venues or equivalent industry research impact.
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience owning the full model development lifecycle.
  • Deep expertise in large-scale model training and fine-tuning, especially for LLMs.
  • Strong background in reinforcement learning, preference learning, or human-in-the-loop learning.
  • Advanced proficiency in Python with coding experience.
  • Deep experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow or similar deep learning packages.

Responsibilities

  • Own and execute hands-on work across the full model development lifecycle.
  • Lead end-to-end research initiatives on LLM training and optimization.
  • Design and implement reinforcement learning and continuous learning pipelines.
  • Conduct rigorous experimentation and failure analysis for model improvement.
  • Translate research prototypes into production-grade models.
  • Serve as the technical POC for complex AI projects.
  • Mentor junior scientists through technical guidance.

Benefits

  • Work on mission-critical LLM systems at massive scale.
  • Own models end-to-end, from research to production impact.
  • Shape the future of enterprise-grade AI agents.
  • Collaborate with world-class researchers and engineers.
  • See your research ship, scale, and matter.
Full Job Description
To get the best candidate experience, please consider applying for a maximum of 3 roles within 12 months to ensure you are not duplicating efforts.

Job Category
Software Engineering

Job Details

Lead Applied Scientist - AgentForce
Team Overview

The AgentForce Data Science team powers the core Large Language Models (LLMs) behind Salesforce's production-grade AI agents. Our work directly impacts millions of users by enabling trustworthy, scalable, and high-performance AI systems across customer support, sales, marketing, analytics, and internal productivity workflows.

We operate at the intersection of cutting-edge research and real-world deployment, owning the full model development lifecycle-from research ideation and training to fine-tuning, evaluation, continuous learning, and production rollout.

Role Overview

We are seeking a strong Lead/Principal Applied Scientist to drive advanced LLM research and model development for AgentForce's production services. This role requires hands-on involvement across the full model development lifecycle, in addition to technical leadership and mentorship.

The ideal candidate is both a strong individual contributor and a technical leader, serving as a primary point of contact (POC) for major AI initiatives while shaping long-term research and modeling strategy.

Key Responsibilities
Research, Modeling & Hands-On Execution
  • Own and execute hands-on work across the full model development lifecycle, including data preparation, model training, fine-tuning, evaluation, iteration, and deployment readiness.
  • Lead end-to-end research initiatives on LLM training, fine-tuning, alignment, and optimization for production use cases.
  • Design, implement, and iterate on reinforcement learning (RL) and continuous learning pipelines (e.g., RLHF, RLAIF, offline/online feedback loops).
  • Conduct rigorous experimentation, ablation studies, and failure analysis to drive measurable model improvements.
  • Translate research prototypes into production-grade models that meet latency, scalability, reliability, and safety requirements.
Technical Leadership
  • Serve as the technical POC for complex AgentForce AI projects, driving alignment across research, engineering, product, and platform teams.
  • Define best practices for model training, fine-tuning, evaluation, and release readiness.
  • Influence architectural and modeling decisions across the AgentForce AI stack.
Mentorship & Thought Leadership
  • Mentor junior scientists and engineers through direct technical guidance and code-level reviews.
  • Foster a culture of strong scientific rigor, reproducibility, and ownership.
  • Contribute to Salesforce's external research presence through publications, talks, and collaborations.


Required Qualifications
Education & Research Background
  • PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, AI, or a related field.
    Strong publication record in top-tier venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL, EMNLP) or equivalent industry research impact. [Nice to have].

Core Technical & Hands-On Requirements
  • Demonstrated hands-on experience owning the full model development lifecycle, not limited to research or design.
  • Deep expertise in large-scale model training and fine-tuning, especially for LLMs.
  • Strong background in reinforcement learning, preference learning, or human-in-the-loop learning.
  • Experience building and maintaining continuous learning systems using real-world feedback signals.
  • Solid understanding of model evaluation, alignment, and robustness in production environments.
Coding & Tooling
  • Advanced proficiency in Python, with significant hands-on coding experience.
  • Deep experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow or similar deep learning packages.
  • Practical experience with modern LLM tooling, such as:
    • Hugging Face (Transformers, Accelerate, PEFT)
    • Distributed training frameworks (DeepSpeed, FSDP, etc.)
    • ML orchestration and scaling tools (Ray, Kubernetes, internal platforms)
    • Strong data analysis and experimentation skills (NumPy, Pandas, custom evaluation pipelines).

Leadership & Collaboration
  • Experience mentoring and developing junior researchers or engineers.
  • Strong communication skills across research, engineering, and executive stakeholders.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience deploying and iterating on models in production, high-availability systems.
  • Background in enterprise AI, agentic systems, or LLM platforms at scale.
  • Familiarity with trust, safety, or governance frameworks for AI systems.
  • Experience with large-scale distributed compute environments (multi-GPU / multi-node training).


Why Join AgentForce?
  • Work on mission-critical LLM systems at massive scale.
  • Own models end-to-end, from research to production impact.
  • Shape the future of enterprise-grade AI agents.
  • Collaborate with world-class researchers and engineers.
  • See your research ship, scale, and matter.


Unleash Your Potential

When you join Salesforce, you'll be limitless in all areas of your life. Our benefits and resources support you to find balance and be your best, and our AI agents accelerate your impact so you can do your best. Together, we'll bring the power of Agentforce to organizations of all sizes and deliver amazing experiences that customers love. Apply today to not only shape the future - but to redefine what's possible - for yourself, for AI, and the world.

About Salesforce

ExactTarget is a provider of on-demand email marketing software solutions. Their suite of on-demand one-to-one marketing applications enables clients to send business-critical and event-triggered communications to increase sales, optimize marketing investments, and strengthen customer relationships. They offer four editions of their on-demand software application along with integrated solutions such as ExactTarget for AppExchange and ExactTarget for [Microsoft](/organization/Microsoft) Dynamics CRM.

Salesforce Careers

Joining Salesforce means becoming part of a dynamic, global team of professionals who are deeply committed to driving customer success and innovation. As the world's leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform, Salesforce offers unparalleled job opportunities in technology and consulting, making it an ideal place for ambitious individuals looking to make a significant impact.

Work You'll Do

At Salesforce, every position is a chance to leverage your skills and creativity to transform businesses and industries. Our diverse team of experts collaborates to deliver cutting-edge solutions that foster growth and enhance leadership capabilities. By joining our team, you'll be at the forefront of digital innovation, using Salesforce's powerful platform to help clients navigate their transformation journeys.

Innovate and Lead

Salesforce is not just a company; it's a community where you can lead with your ideas and see them come to life. Our culture of innovation encourages you to challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what's possible. With Salesforce, you'll work alongside leaders in technology and business who are committed to your growth and professional development.

Career Growth and Opportunities

Whether you're looking for an internship, a full-time position, or leadership roles, Salesforce provides a wealth of opportunities to advance your career. Our commitment to professional growth is reflected in our robust training programs, including leadership development and diversity training, designed to help you excel at every stage of your career.

Be Part of a Great Team

Salesforce prides itself on a culture that values diversity, teamwork, and open communication. We believe that our strength lies in our people, and we're committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Joining our team means being part of a supportive community that encourages networking and collaboration.

Benefits and Culture

At Salesforce, we understand that job satisfaction extends beyond the office. That's why we offer competitive benefits to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our employees and their families. From health insurance and retirement plans to wellness programs and flexible working arrangements, we provide the benefits that contribute to a better work-life balance.

Explore Job Opportunities

Ready to take the next step in your career? Explore the wide range of employment opportunities at Salesforce. From technical roles to customer engagement positions, we are continuously hiring talented individuals who are passionate about making a difference.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Salesforce by following our careers blog. Gain insights from the people who work here and learn how you can bring your career to the next level with Salesforce.

Apply Now

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Join Salesforce today and be part of a company that's shaping the future of technology, fostering a culture of innovation, and building a more equitable world.
Learn more about Salesforce
Size
73,541 employees
Market Cap
$130.4 billion
Industry
Net Income
$4 billion
Founded
2000
5 Year Trend
+25.7%
Revenue
$21.2 billion
NASDAQ

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