About Centific Centific is a frontier AI data foundry that curates diverse, high-quality data, using our purpose-built technology platforms to empower the Magnificent Seven and our enterprise clients with safe, scalable AI deployment. Our team includes more than 150 PhDs and data scientists, along with more than 4,000 AI practitioners and engineers. We harness the power of an integrated solution ecosystem—comprising industry-leading partnerships and 1.8 million vertical domain experts in more than 230 markets—to create contextual, multilingual, pre-trained datasets; fine-tuned, industry-specific LLMs; and RAG pipelines supported by vector databases. Our zero-distance innovation™ solutions for GenAI can reduce GenAI costs by up to 80% and bring solutions to market 50% faster. Our mission is to bridge the gap between AI creators and industry leaders by bringing best practices in GenAI to unicorn innovators and enterprise customers. We aim to help these organizations unlock significant business value by deploying GenAI at scale, helping to ensure they stay at the forefront of technological advancement and maintain a competitive edge in their respective markets. About Job Job Description PhD Research Intern — Applied Reinforcement Learning Centific AI Research Role Summary Centific AI Research seeks a PhD Research Intern to design and evaluate reinforcement learning (RL) systems for agentic AI workflows. You will develop RL environments, reward models, and post-training pipelines for LLM-based agents, translating research into practical enterprise solutions. Scope of Work - End-to-end RL pipelines for agentic systems (simulation → training → evaluation) - Alignment of LLM-based agents using RLHF, DPO, PPO, and emerging methods - Design of reward functions, verifiers, and evaluation frameworks - Simulation environments (digital twins) for enterprise workflows - Scalable training and inference for RL-based systems Example Projects - Build a custom RL environment simulating a real-world enterprise workflow and train an agent using PPO or GRPO - Develop a reward modeling pipeline from human feedback and evaluate alignment improvements - Create an evaluation harness measuring reasoning, task success, and policy safety - Prototype an agentic system with tool use and multi-step reasoning, integrated with RL training - Document experiments, ablations, and findings for research and productionization Minimum Qualifications - PhD candidate in CS, ML, or related field with research in reinforcement learning or agentic AI - Strong Python and PyTorch skills with GPU-based training experience - Solid understanding of RL fundamentals (MDPs, policy gradients, value methods) - Experience with LLMs and post-training techniques (RLHF, DPO, PPO, etc.) - Strong experimentation practices (ablation, reproducibility, clear reporting) Preferred Qualifications - Experience with RL environments (Gymnasium, RLlib, Stable Baselines) - Research in offline RL, model-based RL, or hierarchical RL - Publications at top ML conferences (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, ACL) - Experience with simulation, synthetic data, or multi-agent systems - Distributed training and large-scale experimentation Tech Stack - PyTorch, CUDA; RL libraries (Gymnasium, RLlib, Stable Baselines) - LLM frameworks and post-training tools (TRL, custom RLHF pipelines) - Experiment tracking (Weights & Biases) - APIs/services (FastAPI, gRPC); optimization (ONNX, TensorRT) Logistics Location: Palo Alto, CA (Preferred), Redmond, WA (Preferred) or Remote Duration: 3–6 months What We Offer - Competitive stipend and real-world impactful projects - Mentorship from researchers and engineers - Access to modern GPU infrastructure - Opportunities to publish and present research Centific AI Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to an inclusive environment. Rate: $35-$45 Hourly Centific is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, mental or physical disability, medical condition, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

• Design and build scalable RL training infrastructure — async trainers, environment orchestration, reward pipelines — across large GPU clusters. • Optimize performance, cost, and resource utilization of RL workloads using state-of-the-art compute and memory optimization techniques. • Contribute to our open-source libraries and frameworks for distributed RL training. • Publish research at top-tier venues (ICML, NeurIPS). • Write clear, approachable technical content distilling complex systems work for customers and the broader community. • Stay current with advances in RL systems, distributed training, and ML infrastructure, and proactively identify opportunities to enhance our platform.

About Us SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people's lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja, the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 4,100 associates, the company's products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world. Applied Research Engineer II, Human Wellness Needham, MA, United States Our purpose is to positively impact people's lives every day in every home around the world! We work very hard to provide our consumers with high-quality, exciting 5-star products that make life easier. We thrive on passion and innovation and are looking for great people, with great ideas, who want to build the next big thing and develop while they do. Are you ready to take your skills to the next level and join a company that thrives on Innovation? If yes, I have the perfect position for you! Our mission to positively impact people's lives every day in every home around the world allows our employees to be thinkers and tinkerers, designers and doers, creators and number crunchers, makers of things they love. As we continue to grow, we are excited to add an Applied Research Engineer IIto our global team. Overview The Research and Development Team at SharkNinja is seeking an experienced, versatile Engineer II to help deliver an exceptional pipeline of new technologies across the beauty and human wellness spaces. In this role, you will work at the intersection of research and engineering-translating scientific insight into real-world solutions that meaningfully improve people's lives. As an Engineer II, you will take ownership of complex, open-ended technical challenges, partner closely with cross-functional teams, and influence technical direction and product definition through technology exploration and applied scientific research. This role is well-suited for someone who thrives in ambiguity, takes initiative, and enjoys shaping problems as much as solving them. What You'll Do - Evaluate emerging technologies and help guide research roadmaps and investment decisions - Lead applied research initiatives in human health and wellness to test hypotheses and support product claims - Develop and refine algorithms, models, and experimental methods across a broad range of biomechanical and physiological data streams - Synthesize findings and communicate clearly through presentations and written materials for both technical and non-technical audiences - Collaborate closely with engineering, product, marketing, and regulatory partners to translate research into impact - Engage with external experts to accelerate innovation and support clinical studies for medical devices - Mentor junior researchers and provide hands-on technical leadership across projects - Uphold high standards for scientific rigor, reproducibility, and ethical research practices Attributes and Skills - MS in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physical Therapy, or a related field-or equivalent practical experience with 2+ years' of experience or a PhD in the same fields with 0+ years' of experience. - 0 - 2+ years of applied research experience in industry, research labs, or translational academic environments - Strong foundation in experimental design, statistical analysis, and data interpretation - Hands-on experience working in laboratory settings with diverse test equipment and instrumentation - Knowledge in one or more of the following areas: human anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, physics of biological tissues, or human gait and movement - Proficiency in computational programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB) - Ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and make progress amid evolving requirements - This is an in-person role based in our Needham, MA office Preferred Attributes - Demonstrated success translating research into shipped products, deployed systems, or validated claims - Experience developing wearable sensors or medical devices - Hands-on prototyping and experimental protocol development experience - Comfort balancing multiple initiatives and adapting to shifting priorities while maintaining focus on long-term goals Salary and Other Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is displayed below. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. The Company offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts (HSA) with company contribution, 401(k) retirement plan with matching, employee stock purchase program, life insurance, AD&D, short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, generous paid time off, company holidays, parental leave, identity theft protection, pet insurance, pre-paid legal insurance, back-up child and eldercare days, product discounts, referral bonus program, and more. Pay Range $81,700-$130,000 USD Our Culture At SharkNinja, we don't just raise the bar-we push past it every single day. Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you'll be right at home. What We Offer We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more. We empower your personal and professional growth with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what's possible. When you join, you're not just part of a company-you're part of an outrageously extraordinary community. Together, we won't just launch products-we'll disrupt entire markets. At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja's innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA. Learn more about us: Life At SharkNinja Outrageously Extraordinary SharkNinja Candidate Privacy Notice - For candidates based in all regions, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice. - For candidates based in China, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice. - For candidates based in Vietnam, please refer to this Candidate Privacy Notice. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture at accommodations@sharkninja.com

• Conduct and lead both applied and original threat research, transforming intelligence, telemetry, and investigation into actionable detection logic for the Sumo Logic SIEM. • Collaborate closely within Threat Labs to design, build, and refine detection content and validation pipelines that raise the bar for product and customer detection quality. • Drive innovation in detection methodologies, including research activities such as malware analysis, infrastructure tracking, or honeypot operations, to discover new attacker behaviors. • Publish and share findings — from detection logic to behavioral analysis and practical hunting guidance — that help customers maximize SIEM outcomes. • Contribute to Threat Labs’ long‑term vision of a research‑driven, continuously evolving detection ecosystem built on practitioner insight and technical depth. • Research, develop, and test threat detection logic in a lab environment, validating against real‑world attacker behaviors and ensuring technical alignment with Sumo Logic SIEM capabilities. • Conduct original threat research, such as analyzing malware, tracking infrastructure, or experimenting with honeypots, and translate findings into detection opportunities. • Investigate industry and adversary trends to identify emerging detection opportunities. • Collaborate with product management and fellow Threat Labs engineers to scope and prioritize detection campaigns. • Maintain and expand Threat Labs’ research lab infrastructure. • Provide practitioner feedback to engineering and product management to inform feature design and roadmap decisions. • Contribute to the security community through blogs, conference talks, open source projects, and public research contributions.