Job Description

About Recursive

As the world's population grows, we are facing a number of global challenges in the realms of environmental conservation, societal equity and ensuring that nobody is left behind in the transition to a digital economy. Artificial intelligence is a key technology to not only address some symptoms of these issues, but also helping create completely new innovative approaches that can create a more sustainable economy and lifestyle.

Recursive is an Applied AI consulting company based in Japan working on developing solutions to some of these challenging problems. We collaborate with large Japanese enterprises to create innovative solutions to sustainability challenges, merging in our expertise in AI research and our client's domain knowledge. Our development projects focus around the main themes of improving efficiency, accelerating innovation, risk mitigation and better work and education.

Recursive is founded by Tiago Ramalho and Katsutoshi Yamada in 2020. Tiago was a Senior Research Engineer at Google Deepmind and Lead Research scientist at Cogent labs and brings years of machine learning expertise to the company. Katsutoshi is a serial entrepreneur and AI expert with experience in developing and establishing innovative business models in Japan and abroad.

Building on its previous successes, Recursive is now looking to grow and expand its impact further. Visit our homepage ( to learn more about Recursive.

Recursive's Mission

At Recursive, our mission is to attract individuals who share our passion for our core purpose: to create a fairer, more sustainable society through the power of Artificial Intelligence.

Our Mission:
・Why: To build a fairer, more sustainable society.
・How: By transforming our clients into AI-first businesses.
・What: Through AI technology development and consulting.

In pursuit of this mission, Recursive has distinguished itself in several key areas:
・Cutting-Edge AI Application: We excel in translating state-of-the-art AI research into practical applications. This is achieved through strong connections with academic machine learning research, a commitment to understanding client data and requirements, and seamless integration with client businesses.
・Generative AI Innovation: We launched a Generative AI solution ( to the market just as the field was gaining momentum, having initiated development in early 2022.
・Enterprise AI Solutions: We introduced FindFlow ( only six months after ChatGPT's release, enhancing the application of large language models for enterprise use and enabling access to private enterprise data with Generative AI.
・Pioneering Environmental AI: Recursive is the first Japanese company to employ Physics-Inspired Neural Networks for simulating environmental systems (


We aim to use these methods to transform environmental management and promote renewable energy adoption. Learn more about this project by watching our presentation ( at the Google Cloud for Sustainability event.

Recursive's Culture

Ultimately, the value of a company is the result of the collective actions of its passionate members.
At Recursive we want to focus on creating an incredible working environment where talented individuals can come together to work hard on solving real-world problems.

When it comes to culture, we know that there is no way to suit everyone's tastes. Almost everyone has a passion, but not all passions align. And the same is true for Recursive.


We aim to build a work environment that is ideal for a particular kind of person:
・Challenger Mentality: Those who like to solve hard problems and try to go beyond their current abilities
・Leadership: those who take the initiative and fix problems on their own
・Trust & Cooperation: those who seek to work with a team of talented individuals they can trust
・Impact: those who want to feel like their work is having impact on others/the world Recursive can only work when we take collaboration to be our top priority.

Our workplace has zero tolerance for harassment or toxic behavior, deliberate bad performance, as well as any behaviors that undermine the culture we wish to create. We will only be able to achieve the goals of closing more impactful projects, and achieving “kandou” for the ones we are executing, if all teams come together and collaborate. We want to use our diversity of cultures and experiences as a strength instead of a weakness.

Given that we are still a small company, everyone's actions matter, and we place top priority in ensuring that our culture (i.e. the actions of our members) reflects our values. That means that it is not enough to simply write down a document with what we believe our culture is, but in a nutshell, actively rewarding behaviors that are consistent with the culture and disincentivizing behaviors that go against the culture that we want to build.

Recursive's Employment Framework

・ Contract Structure: Recursive provides one year fixed term contracts for all new employees. The contracts are converted into permanent contracts upon new members meeting Recursive standards and contributing effectively to Recursive's success. 
・ Flexible Work Hours: Recursive operates on a flex system with the core hours of 10:00 - 16:00. The flexible work hours fosters a supportive environment that accommodates diverse employee needs while ensuring effective team collaboration during core hours.
・ Hybrid Work: Experience the best of both worlds with our hybrid work model, offering up to three days of remote work and two days in our Shibuya office.
・ Comprehensive Leave Policy: Enjoy public holidays, winter break, 20 days of paid annual leave, 5 days of sick leave along with special leave for bereavement and paid parental care.
・ Enriching Welfare Programs: Take advantage of our diverse welfare programs such as health insurance, annual health checkups, employee's welfare pension, accident and unemployment insurance, paid parental leave, caregiving leave, babysitter voucher program, team-building allowances, skill development and language learning support, relocation assistance, and visa application support.
・ Supportive Benefits: Access a range of benefits including commuting allowance, referral bonus, employee invention profit share program, and stock option plan for eligible roles.
・ Open to Side Projects: While side jobs are generally not allowed, we are open to discussions based on individual circumstances, fostering a supportive and flexible work culture. Some of our members teach at universities, contribute to non-profit organizations, or engage in pet projects that improve their knowledge and skillsets.

Responsibilities

・Design, develop, and implement machine learning models to solve complex problems and enhance product capabilities.
・Perform data cleaning, transformation, and feature engineering to prepare datasets for model training and evaluation.
・Evaluate and select appropriate machine learning algorithms and tools based on project requirements and data characteristics.
・Conduct rigorous testing and validation of models to ensure accuracy, reliability, and scalability. Use metrics to assess model performance.
・Deploy machine learning models into production environments, ensuring seamless integration with existing systems and applications.
・Monitor model performance in production and implement improvements or retraining as necessary to maintain optimal performance.
・Stay abreast of the latest developments in machine learning and AI, and apply innovative techniques to enhance model performance and capabilities.
・Document model architectures, processes, and findings to facilitate knowledge sharing and reproducibility.
・Build research hypothesis and run relevant experiments that generate valuable insights and unlock further avenues for research.
・Communicate technical topics and research results efficiently to experts and non-experts alike.
・Strong proficiency in writing high-quality, maintainable code.

Seniority and level for this position will be determined based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and skillset, as assessed during the interview process.

Seniority Expectations
・ Associate : This level is ideal for early-career professionals or recent graduates who possess a foundational understanding of machine learning. Associates are expected to focus on skill development, learn through practical experience, and contribute to project execution under guidance.
・ Member : At this level, they are expected to independently manage end-to-end machine learning workflows. Members should demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions and contribute meaningfully to team initiatives and strategy.
・ Senior : Senior professionals are expected to bring substantial industry experience and technical expertise. They should be capable of leading complex projects, providing mentorship to junior team members, and playing a key role in shaping technical direction and strategy.
・ Principal : Principals are strategic leaders within the organization, responsible for solving high-impact problems, driving innovation, and guiding the long-term vision of the team. They are also expected to represent the organization externally, often engaging with stakeholders, partners, and thought leaders.

Expectations

・Exhibit a strong drive to learn new topics and improve existing methods and processes, staying updated with advancements in AI and related fields.
・Demonstrate analytical and problem-solving abilities to tackle complex challenges effectively.
・Engage effectively with cross-functional teams, contributing to a positive and productive team environment.
・Be flexible and open to changing priorities and new challenges, quickly adapting to new tools and methodologies.
・Take responsibility for your work, ensuring timely delivery and maintenance of machine learning solutions.
・Encourage creativity and innovation in problem-solving and model development, proposing new ideas and improvements proactively.
・Focus on understanding user needs and delivering solutions that enhance user experience and satisfaction.

Qualifications

・Hold a degree in a scientific or engineering discipline such as Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Computer Science, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.
・Possess a basic understanding of programming, with a strong willingness to learn and enhance coding skills.
・Demonstrate a passion for the latest developments in the AI field, with a keen interest in applying these advancements to real-world problems.
・Desire to work on projects that have a positive impact on society and the environment, aligning with our mission to address sustainability challenges.
・Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and effectively.
・Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy and quality in all aspects of work.
・Having a strong drive to deliver value
・Proficient in English; familiarity with Japanese is a plus.

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