R&D Lead Engineer
Noeon Research is an ambitious deep-tech startup working on a novel natively agentic graph-neuro-symbolic system with general capabilities.
We are an international 30-people team with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. We are looking for an aspiring professional to join our RnD team.
Keywords
Experiment Design, Benchmarking, Proof-of-Concept Research, Rapid Prototyping, Statistical Evaluation, Performance Evaluation, Empirical Validation, Engineering, Project Management, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Python, C++, Hybrid AI Architectures, Reasoning Systems, Research Roadmap, Cross-Functional Collaboration
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Overview
Country
Japan
City
Tokyo
Category
Engineering
Required Background
Computer Science / Software Engineering
Tokyo Office
Hybrid Work
Outside Japan
Not available
Relocation
Required
Employment Type
Full-Time
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Responsibilities and Expectations
Rapid Prototyping and Proof-of-Concept Research
(01)
• Build experimental prototypes to validate theoretical ideas.
• Reduce time from concept → empirical signal.
• Establish research tooling stacks.
Designing and Organising Experiments
(02)
• Develop and execute test plans to evaluate system and infrastructure performance.
• Research and evaluate technology options and conduct feasibility studies.
• Define hypotheses and experimental frameworks.
• Establish statistical rigor and evaluation protocols.
• Design ablation studies and benchmarking suites.
Defining Technical Direction and Requirements
(03)
• Identify and define technical requirements including hardware, software, performance, and security.
• Design short-term tactical plans for software.
• Translate scientific goals into engineering specifications.
• Establish evaluation metrics.
Identify high-risk / high-reward bets.
Collaborating Across Research and Engineering
(04)
• Work closely with Research Scientists and ML Engineers to ensure correct implementation and adherence to design specifications.
• Translate research into engineering artefacts.
• Provide technical guidance and best practices.
• Bridge theory and upcoming production.
Anticipating Technical Risks and Bottlenecks
(05)
• Identify and manage technical risks, perform risk assessments, and monitor progress.
• Foresee possible problems or bottlenecks at the design stage.
• Evaluate experimental uncertainty.
• Detect scalability limits early.
• Prevent dead-end research paths.
Leading Technical Execution and People
(06)
• Provide architectural expertise and direction to engineers.
• Manage engineers including recruitment, supervision, and evaluation.
• Build and lead the internal research team and programs.
• Set technical culture, establish engineering rigor.
• Raise methodological standards.
Experience
5+ years of experience in Lead and Applied AI roles.
(01)
Hands-on experience designing, organising, and evaluating experiments and feasibility studies.
(02)
Experience defining technical and research requirements.
(03)
Experience working in deep collaboration with scientists and ML engineers.
(04)
Educational background
Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
(01)
What soft skills are essential
Proactive mindset to stay updated with the latest advancements in AI.
(01)
Fluent in conversational and written business English (C1+).
(02)
Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams.
(03)
Experience working using Agile framework.
(04)
Personal Qualities
Individual responsibility You respect key deadlines and pass on the results of your work to your teammates in an appropriate condition.
Lifelong learning You recognise areas for growth and proactively learn new skills and knowledge for your current and prospective areas of responsibility.
Vision & planning You can plan your work several weeks ahead and can juggle multiple projects at once. You know when to postpone a task to keep your workload manageable.
Thoroughness You cover every important aspect of your task leaving out no crucial detail.
Proactiveness and initiative You offer help if you have spare capacity. You take initiative and pitch your own projects to others.
Critical thinking You question every judgement, claim or number and can engage in a healthy debate with your teammates.
Dynamic, out-of-the-box mindset You can challenge existing ways, abandon well-trodden paths and embrace the new in the name of the great.
What we are offering
Competitive Salary
Our target salary range is 18-22M JPY per year for a full-time position.
(01)
Flexible Schedule
Outside scheduled team meetings, teammates are free to work on their tasks independently. When to work is a personal choice. Just do not overwork – that is inefficient.
(02)
Autonomy
High autonomy is crucial for us – the small and agile team can achieve a breakthrough if its members are professional and independent. However, we promote helping each other. That is crucial too.
(03)
Low Bureaucracy
What we value most are performance and results, not a strict process following. However, metrics, processes, and documentation are important too. We just keep their priorities low.
(04)
Medical Allowance
Compensation of additional medical costs, yearly health checkup.
(05)
Language Courses
Support for Japanese language training
(06)
Other
Visa Sponsorship, Relocation Allowance, Travel Allowance, Commute Allowance, Japanese Social Security, Maternity & Childcare leave, Life Support.
(07)
How we are different
Beyond ML
(01)
People tend to think that AI is solely Machine Learning, like ChatGPT (or DALL-E 2, or Microsoft Bing, or ChatSonic). We are building our solution on an alternative architecture which incorporates ML as a part.
High-Tech
(02)
We put much effort into profound research and development of new underlying technologies rather than reusing existing ones.
Safety and Alignment
(03)
We want to be responsible in our research and development. We don't turn our noses up at AI safety research and take the issue of alignment seriously.
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© 2026 Noeon Research. All rights reserved.
Midtown Tower 34F, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Midtown Tower 34F, 9-7-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Noeon Research UK Ltd is a registered company in England and Wales. Registration number: 16093898. VAT registration number: 490 4632 84.
C/O Mackrell Llp, 5 Pemberton Row, London, England, EC4A 3BA.
C/O Mackrell Llp, 5 Pemberton Row, London, England, EC4A 3BA.