Join to apply for the AI research engineer role at Bending Spoons.
At Bending Spoons, we strive to build one of the all‑time great companies. We serve a huge number of customers, grow our team members to their full potential, and operate at unparalleled levels of effectiveness and efficiency. We create value for shareholders at an extraordinary rate while adhering to high ethical standards. We acquire digital businesses with untapped potential, leverage our platform, and invest proceeds into making the platform more powerful and acquiring new businesses, combining investor capital allocation with hands‑on operations.
Responsibilities
- Power digital products with AI. Work with product teams to identify high‑impact opportunities where AI can transform the user experience for millions, then build the solutions to make them happen. Drive the process from possibility to production, delivering code that is robust, reproducible, and built for scale.
- Explore ways to push the boundaries of our AI capabilities. Stay at the bleeding edge of AI by investigating new models, techniques, and research. Learn quickly across new domains, share findings with the team, and turn breakthrough ideas into production systems that deliver real‑world impact.
- Refine data foundations for exceptional results. Own the full data lifecycle—from acquisition and labeling to loading and management—to ensure our models are trained on clean, high‑quality datasets that power top‑performing systems.
- Own your impact, end‑to‑end. Set smart priorities, manage execution, and consistently deliver high‑quality results, even in ambiguous or fast‑changing environments. Balance technical depth with strong ownership, growing your skills while delivering meaningful contributions.
What we look for
- Reasoning ability. Given the necessary knowledge, you can solve complex problems. You think from first principles, structure your ideas sharply, resist the influence of biases, and pay attention to the details that matter.
- Drive. You are extremely ambitious in everything you do, and your initiative, effort, and tenacity match the intensity of your ambition. You feel deeply responsible for your work and hold yourself to a high—and rising—bar.
- Team spirit. You give generously without expecting to receive in return. You support the best idea, not your own, and are always happy to get your hands dirty to help your team. You are reliable, honest, and transparent.
- Proficiency in English. You read, write, and speak English proficiently.
What we offer
- Incredibly talented, entrepreneurial teams. You will work in small, result‑oriented, autonomous teams alongside some of the brightest people in your field.
- An exceptional opportunity for growth. We aim to hire individuals of outstanding potential and then place them in the ideal position to thrive. Spooners in their 20s lead products worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and if you have what it takes, you’ll soon be playing an essential role in major projects.
- Competitive pay and equity. Typical salaries range from £83,997 to £194,964 in London and €63,965 to €186,748 elsewhere in Europe, depending on experience and impact. Compensation grows rapidly as you gain experience and translate it into greater contributions. You can also receive some pay in company equity at a discounted price. Relocation to Italy may offer a 50% tax cut.
- All these benefits. Flexible hours, remote working, unlimited backing for learning and training, top‑of‑the‑market health insurance, a rich relocation package, generous parental support, and a yearly retreat to a stunning location. We help each Spooner set up the conditions to do their best work.
Commitment & contract
Permanent or fixed‑term. Full‑time or part‑time.
Location
Milan (Italy), London (UK), Madrid (Spain), Warsaw (Poland) or remote.
The selection process
If you pass our screening, we’ll ask you to take on a few tests designed to assess how you approach unfamiliar problems. They’re challenging and may take several hours to complete. If you’re successful, we’ll invite you to a series of interviews. We set the bar high and won’t extend an offer until we’re convinced we’ve found the right candidate. The role may stay open for months or be reposted multiple times.
Equal opportunity
Bending Spoons is an equal‑opportunity and affirmative‑action employer. We consider all applicants for employment and provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities; just let us know through this form.
Before you apply
If you’ve applied before but didn’t receive an offer, we recommend waiting at least one year before applying again. Bending Spoons is a demanding environment: we hold ourselves and one another to a high standard, which leads to extraordinary learning and career growth but also requires significant commitment. To help you ramp up quickly, we recommend spending your first few months working from our Milan office, regardless of your long‑term work location. We’ll support you with generous travel and accommodation assistance. After that, you can work from Milan, London, or remotely from approved countries, depending on what we agree to at the offer stage.
If the role speaks to you and you’re excited to give your best, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now—we can’t wait to meet you.
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