Senior Research Scientist (Hybrid) at MongoDB

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Senior Research Scientist (Hybrid) at MongoDB | Remotivated

Job Description

About Voyage AI Team at MongoDB

Voyage AI team in MongoDB is building a best-in-class, general-purpose, domain-specific, and fine-tuned embedding models and rerankers to enable accurate, efficient unstructured data search and retrieval for RAG, recommendation, semantic search, and more. It is backed by a strong team of AI researchers from Stanford, MIT, Berkeley, Princeton, and CMU, who have conducted over five years of cutting-edge research on training embedding models. Voyage AI was acquired by MongoDB recently, and is now integrating the SOTA embedding models with MongoDB's data platform to create powerful end-to-end solutions.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Research Scientist to join our team and contribute to the development of next-generation AI models. This position offers a unique opportunity to work on challenging problems at the intersection of machine learning research and practical deployment of large neural networks.

We are looking to speak to candidates who are based in Palo Alto for our hybrid working model.

Responsibilities

Conduct cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, from frontier LLMs to embedding models and rerankers
Innovate in next-generation information retrieval and LLM agent paradigm
Collaborate closely with other research scientists and research engineers as well as peers across the organization

Qualifications

PhD degree in Computer Science or related field
Strong background in machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing
Familiarity with training distributed training of neural networks for language and visual understanding

What We Offer

Opportunity to work on real-world problems at the cutting edge of AI research
Opportunity to utilize research vision to innovate the entire company and make real-world impact
Exposure to the full lifecycle of AI model development, from research to production
Our compensation (base + equity) for this position is competitive with frontier AI labs

About MongoDB

MongoDB is built for change, empowering our customers and our people to innovate at the speed of the market. We have redefined the data platform for the AI era, enabling builders to create, transform, and disrupt industries with software. MongoDB’s unified data platform, the most widely available, globally distributed data platform on the market, helps organizations modernize legacy workloads, embrace innovation, and unleash AI. Our cloud-native platform, MongoDB Atlas, is the only globally distributed, multi-cloud data platform and is available across AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

With offices worldwide and over 67,000 customers, including 75% of the Fortune 100 and AI-native startups, relying on MongoDB for their most important applications, we’re powering the next era of software.

Our compass at MongoDB is our Leadership Commitment, guiding how and why we make decisions, show up for each other, and win. It’s what makes us MongoDB.

To drive the personal growth and business impact of our employees, we’re committed to developing a supportive and enriching culture for everyone. From employee affinity groups, to fertility assistance and a generous parental leave policy, we value our employees’ wellbeing and want to support them along every step of their professional and personal journeys. Learn more about what it’s like to work at MongoDB, and help us make an impact on the world!

MongoDB is committed to providing any necessary accommodations for individuals with disabilities within our application and interview process. To request an accommodation due to a disability, please inform your recruiter.

MongoDB, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and makes all hiring decisions without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Req ID: 2273430550

MongoDB’s base salary range for this role is posted below. Compensation at the time of offer is unique to each candidate and based on a variety of factors such as skill set, experience, qualifications, and work location. Salary is one part of MongoDB’s total compensation and benefits package. Other benefits for eligible employees may include: equity, participation in the employee stock purchase program, flexible paid time off, 20 weeks fully-paid gender-neutral parental leave, fertility and adoption assistance, 401(k) plan, mental health counseling, access to transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage, and health benefits offerings. Please note, the base salary range listed below and the benefits in this paragraph are only applicable to U.S.-based candidates.

MongoDB’s base salary range for this role in the U.S. is:

$126,000—$248,000 USD

Benefits & Perks

Health & Wellness

Health Insurance

Comprehensive medical plans via Cigna (HDHP w/ HSA, EPO, PPO) and Kaiser HMO for CA employees. Deductibles run from $0 in-network on the Cigna PPO and the Kaiser HMO to $250 on the Cigna EPO and $1,700 on the HDHP for employee-only coverage, with $20 copays and 100% preventive care coverage.

Dental Insurance

Cigna dental insurance with 100% preventative coverage and an annual maximum that increases with yearly cleanings.

Vision Insurance

EyeMed vision insurance with up to $180 in annual savings on contacts and frames plus member discounts.

Life Insurance

Company-provided life insurance plus AD&D (Accidental Death & Dismemberment) coverage.

Disability Insurance

Income protection through company-provided disability insurance.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

MongoDB automatically contributes to a Health Savings Account for employees enrolled in the Cigna high-deductible health plan.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Pre-tax Healthcare FSA and Dependent Care FSA for out-of-pocket medical and dependent care expenses.

Mental Health Benefits

Headspace subscription for employees and dependents; Spring Health in the US covers up to 10 therapy visits/year; Cigna Behavioral Health offers $20 in-network sessions via Headway, Talkspace, and Alma; plus an internal Mental Health First Aider program and the MongoDB Bloom wellness program.

Gender Affirming Care

Enhanced Gender Affirmation services through Cigna for US employees, covering hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgery, voice therapy, and blepharoplasty — part of the 7% of Cigna client companies offering this scope of coverage.

Pet Insurance

Pet insurance via Wagmo covering routine care, grooming, emergency, and cancer treatments, plus community discounts.

Employee Assistance Program

Confidential 24/7 EAP hotline with 3 free counseling sessions per issue, plus referrals for family support, legal advice, and fitness.

Wellness Programs

MongoDB Bloom delivers monthly holistic wellness initiatives covering stress, nutrition, sleep, and mindfulness, alongside virtual and on-site fitness classes, meditation sessions, and wellness workshops.

Fitness Stipend

Gympass membership available, plus on-site gym facilities and on-site fitness classes at hub offices.

Financial

401(k) / Retirement Plan

401(k) plan for US employees, with pension and retirement programs available across other regions.

Equity / RSUs

RSU grants with 4-year vesting: 25% annual cliff at year 1, then 6.25% quarterly through years 2-4.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

ESPP allows contributions up to 15% of base salary with a 15% discount on the purchase price of stock.

Performance Bonus

Performance bonuses are offered as part of total compensation, with most employees receiving an annual bonus.

Time Off

Unlimited PTO

Flexible PTO policy applied globally and based on mutual trust between employee and manager; non-US regions have competitive time-off equivalents.

Paid Holidays

11 paid US holidays including New Year, MLK Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving (and the day after), Christmas Eve, and Christmas.

Sick Days

Paid sick time available separate from the flexible PTO program.

Flexible Schedule

Family & Care

Parental Leave

20 weeks of fully paid gender-neutral parental leave (birth, adoption, or foster) plus an additional 4 weeks of fully paid flexible work arrangement to ease return-to-work, after 1 year of tenure.

Fertility Benefits

Carrot covers IVF, genetic testing, egg freezing, donor eggs/sperm, surrogacy, and adoption with no infertility diagnosis required and no age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status restrictions. Reimbursement of 90% of expenses up to $50,000 USD lifetime in the US (equivalent of $20,000 USD lifetime for non-US employees).

Adoption Leave

Adoptive parents receive the same 20 weeks of fully paid leave as birth parents under the gender-neutral parental leave policy, plus Carrot adoption financial assistance.

Professional Growth

Mentorship Program

Internal mentor and buddy program operating cross-departmentally, plus the MentorHER program for women in tech.

Learning & Development Budget

New-hire technical training across Atlas, Server, Drivers, and Cloud Services; on-demand professional skills development; regional GTM bootcamps; and leadership development programs for managers and emerging leaders.

Conference Attendance

Job training and conference attendance support, plus internal Lunch and Learns.

Culture & Perks

Employee Resource Groups

13 active ERGs: BEAM, Config.MDB (neurodiversity/disability), Green Team (sustainability), MDBWomen, MongoDB_API (AAPI), Queer Collective, Queeries, QueLatine, MDBWomen in Sales, UGT (underrepresented genders in tech), Veterans, Mindful at MongoDB, and Caregivers.

Charity Matching

Bright Funds platform offers access to 300,000+ vetted charities; MongoDB covers transaction fees on employee donations.

Employee Recognition Awards

Established employee awards program honoring contributions and impact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work fully remotely at MongoDB?

MongoDB assigns one of four working models per role: In-Office, Flexible, Fully Remote, or Customer-Facing Remote, so remote eligibility is role-specific rather than company-wide. Most current openings are hybrid: of roughly 400 active roles, only about 27 are fully remote. Confirm the working model on the specific job before applying.

Which locations does MongoDB hire in?

MongoDB has offices in more than a dozen cities, including New York (its headquarters), San Francisco, Palo Alto, Austin, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Dublin, Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Gurugram, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo. Active hiring spans more than 20 countries, concentrated in New York, Dublin, and Gurugram.

How does MongoDB handle compensation and equity?

Compensation is geo-based, calibrated to the local market for each role. Equity is granted as RSUs that vest over four years (25% after the first year, then 6.25% each quarter), and employees can buy shares through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan at a 15% discount. Median total compensation sits around 217K USD.

What benefits does MongoDB offer?

Alongside medical, dental, and vision coverage, MongoDB offers unlimited PTO, paid parental leave for all caregiver designations, fertility, adoption, and gender-affirming care support, FSA and HSA options, and a learning-and-development budget with defined IC and management career pathways. Wellness perks are quantified at roughly 7,493 USD per year.

What is the work pace like at MongoDB?

MongoDB is candid about intensity. Work-life balance is a recognized weak spot, with around half of employees reporting burnout, and the cadence is widely described as fast or extremely fast. It tends to suit people who thrive on high-growth momentum more than those seeking a steadier rhythm.

Who thrives at MongoDB?

MongoDB fits developers and go-to-market professionals who want to work on a database platform at public-company scale with a broad, self-built product surface spanning Atlas, Vector Search, Stream Processing, Compass, and Charts. Sales roles see top-quartile quota attainment, and professional development ranks among the strongest in software.