Researcher, Synthetic RL

OpenAI
San Francisco, CA2026-01-09

About the job

As a Research Scientist on the Synthetic RL team, you will develop novel reinforcement learning techniques that use synthetic environments and feedback to improve large-scale models. You’ll work closely with other researchers to design experiments, analyze learning dynamics, and translate research insights into training approaches used in production systems.

Responsibilities

Research and develop reinforcement learning algorithms

Design and run experiments to study training dynamics and model behavior at scale

Collaborate with engineers and researchers to integrate successful approaches into model training pipelines

Qualifications

Minimum

Have a strong background in reinforcement learning, machine learning research, or related fields

Have strong engineering and statistical analysis skills

Enjoy exploring new problem spaces where data, objectives, and evaluation are imperfect or evolving

Are motivated by seeing research ideas influence real-world AI systems

Preferred

Have a strong background in reinforcement learning, machine learning research, or related fields

Have strong engineering and statistical analysis skills

Enjoy exploring new problem spaces where data, objectives, and evaluation are imperfect or evolving

Are motivated by seeing research ideas influence real-world AI systems