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Sakana AI is seeking an Applied Research Engineer to join its Applied Team, which launched in 2025 to deploy world-class generative AI technology into real-world applications. The company is pioneering unique generative AI techniques inspired by nature and is actively collaborating with major domestic and international partners on high-impact projects.
The role focuses on developing solutions in financial services and defense/public sectors, where you will apply cutting-edge generative AI and AI Agent technologies to address Japan's most critical challenges from a long-term perspective.
Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering innovative solutions to customers using state-of-the-art AI technologies
- Developing deep domain knowledge to understand customer problems and guide solution design
- Defining requirements and proposing technical approaches in ambiguous, rapidly evolving environments
- Conducting research and development on core, high-impact AI technologies for projects
- Evaluating productization of Sakana AI's research outcomes, technologies, and solutions
Required qualifications:
- Business-level Japanese proficiency (English is a plus)
- Hands-on experience with generative AI technologies including LLMs and AI Agents
- Demonstrated expertise in multiple areas: AI Agent Workflows, Multi-Agent Systems, Deep Research, Computer Use, function calling, MCP, A2A tools, RAG, VLM/OCR for document understanding, hallucination mitigation, guardrails, domain-specific benchmarking, Meta Agents, and open-ended exploration
- Experience with reinforcement learning, supervised/unsupervised learning for model design, training, evaluation, and improvement
- Full-stack data science experience from problem definition through data analysis, feature engineering, model implementation, and value validation
- Proficiency with AI-assisted coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Devin, Claude Code)
Preferred qualifications:
- Kaggle or similar competition experience
- Background in financial services or government/defense sectors
- End-to-end experience from customer collaboration through technical validation to solution delivery
- Degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Physics, Mathematics, Business, Economics, or Law
The role is hybrid, based in Tokyo's Azabudai Hills (Mori JP Tower, 22F). Sakana AI offers comprehensive benefits including social insurance, flexible work arrangements, and paid leave. Candidates should review the company's defense business policy before applying.
