AI Researcher - Responsible AI Focus

Position Type: Regular

Your opportunity

At Schwab, you have the chance to shape a rewarding career while positively impacting the lives of millions of clients. Join us in our commitment to innovative thinking and creative problem-solving as we challenge the status quo in the financial industry, placing clients at the center of all we do. This role is based on-site in our San Francisco office.

Join Schwab's AI Strategy & Transformation team, known as AI.x, the go-to hub for Artificial Intelligence. We comprise an integrated team of product, engineering, strategy, and risk professionals all working towards setting the vision for AI, investing in promising opportunities, and accelerating delivery across the company. We also build a research platform that powers AI at scale and explore next-generation GenAI efforts that will redefine client services.

As a Responsible AI Researcher, you will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between regulations, ethical principles, and technical innovation, ultimately shaping the safe and ethical deployment of AI across our products and services. Your responsibilities will include translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable technical guardrails, evaluation frameworks, and continuous monitoring benchmarks. By interpreting existing standards, advocating for best practices, and anticipating future regulatory changes, you will help Schwab maintain the trust that is fundamental to our business.

In this highly visible role, you will ensure Schwab's AI systems set industry standards for safety, fairness, and transparency. Collaborate closely with teams across research, engineering, product, legal, compliance, and risk to address complex challenges in responsible AI. This position offers significant opportunities for innovation, where you will be instrumental in designing and implementing solutions for challenges that lack established best practices, shaping both the technical and organizational standards for Schwab's AI systems. Your work will directly inform executive decision-making, regulatory engagement, and the creation of trusted AI products at scale.

What You'll Do

• Design and implement innovative methods for bias detection and develop technical guidelines aligned with responsible AI principles.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including research, product, legal, compliance, and risk to guarantee that Schwab's AI systems are safe, fair, and transparent.
• Build and maintain monitoring systems for AI models, integrating both human oversight and automated metrics for compliance at scale.
• Influence executive decision-making and engage with regulators while driving trusted AI solutions to serve millions of clients.

If you're passionate about responsible AI and eager to innovate in a dynamic environment, this role is tailored for you.

What you have

We're looking for someone who excels in ambiguity, is deeply passionate about AI ethics, and thrives on solving complex challenges without a predefined playbook.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Social/Applied Sciences, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
• 6+ years in AI ethics, AI research, Security, Trust & Safety, or similar roles (academic doctoral experience counts).
• Expertise in fairness, alignment, adversarial robustness, or interpretability/explainability.
• Experience with responsible generative AI challenges and risk mitigations.
• Strong analytical and communication skills for engaging both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years in AI/ML research and development using Python.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (AI-specific or in the financial sector) and responsible AI standards.
• Published research in AI safety, alignment, or governance (e.g., FAccT, NeurIPS).
• Experience with large language models (LLMs) and deploying LLM-powered applications.
• Skills in adversarial testing, red-teaming, and risk assessment for AI deployments.
• Strong data science fundamentals (SQL, pandas, visualization) and robust pipeline development.
• Financial domain knowledge is a plus.

We encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, even if you do not meet every requirement.

Along with a competitive salary, this role also qualifies for bonus or incentive opportunities.

What's in it for you

At Schwab, you are empowered to shape your future. We are committed to your growth through meaningful work, continual learning, and a culture built on trust and collaboration, allowing you to enhance your skills to make a lasting impact. Our Hybrid Work and Flexibility approach balances our dedication to workplace flexibility, serving our clients, and the importance of in-person collaboration.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your overall well-being, both now and in the future:

• 401(k) with company match and Employee stock purchase plan
• Paid time for vacation, volunteering, and a 28-day sabbatical after every 5 years of service for eligible positions
• Paid parental leave and family-building benefits
• Tuition reimbursement
• Health, dental, and vision insurance