Research Scientist V

Our technology client is seeking a Research scientist to join their team.

Job Title: Research scientist 

Location: Redmond WA 

Pay Range: $75-$80/hr

What’s the Job?

Overview
Meta's Reality Labs Research Audio team is advancing the science of augmented hearing: technology that helps people hear better in the situations where hearing is hardest. We are looking for a Research Scientist with deep hearing-science expertise to lead and execute research programs in hearing-assistive technology. In this role you will drive hearing-science research end to end: setting direction for your own studies, executing established research programs, and evaluating signal-processing approaches against human performance. This is a hands-on role. You will design and run listening studies, prototype and assess algorithms, and translate findings into direction for future hearing technologies.
Responsibilities
● Define and drive research direction for hearing-science programs, independently scoping and executing studies that advance hearing-assistive technology
● Execute established research plans through design, data collection, analysis, and reporting
● Design and run listening experiments and human-subject studies, including participant protocols, stimulus design, and psychoacoustic measurement
● Prototype, tune, and evaluate hearing-assistive signal-processing algorithms and fitting approaches
● Analyze experimental data and communicate findings clearly to research, engineering, and product partners
● Collaborate onsite with audio researchers, hardware engineers, and software engineers to translate scientific results into system requirements
● Document methods and results to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer across the team

Minimum Qualifications
● PhD in Hearing Science, Audiology, Auditory Neuroscience, Acoustics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical research experience
● Demonstrated domain expertise in hearing science and psychoacoustics
● Hands-on experience with hearing-aid or hearing-assistive signal processing (e.g., amplification, compression, noise reduction, directionality, feedback management) and fitting approaches
● Experience designing, executing, and analyzing human-subject listening studies
● Technical proficiency sufficient to independently prototype algorithms and experimental tooling (e.g., MATLAB, Python)
● Proven experience driving research direction independently with minimal supervision
● Available to work onsite in Redmond, WA

Preferred Qualifications
● Experience with speech-in-noise measurement and speech intelligibility enhancement
● Experience with wearable or head-worn audio devices
● Experience with microphone arrays, beamforming, or spatial audio processing
● Track record of publications in hearing science, audiology, or audio signal processing venues
● Experience partnering with cross-functional hardware and software teams in a product research environment

Key Projects/Day-to-Day Responsibilities
● meta-trimmers — direct their own studies on this workstream, setting study direction to keep the program advancing toward NTI
● SIN on glasses — carry on already-planned studies, continuing execution rather than redefining scope
● Design and run listening/human-subject studies: protocols, stimulus design, psychoacoustic measurement
● Prototype, tune, and evaluate hearing-assistive signal-processing algorithms and fitting approaches
● Analyze data and communicate findings to research, engineering, and product partners; document methods for continuity

How will performance be measured?
● Continued progress of meta-trimmers toward its NTI milestones
● On-schedule execution of the already-planned SIN on glasses studies
● Quality and rigor of study design, analysis, and documentation
● Ability to operate independently and set study direction with minimal supervision
● Effective collaboration with audio research, hardware, and software partners onsite

Where does this position fit within the team?
Reality Labs Research, Audio — RL Research Audio hearing-science workstreams (Hearing Enhancement v2 / Augmented Hearing), Redmond. The role provides bridge/backfill coverage for two workstreams whose DRIs are out, working alongside audio researchers, hardware engineers, and software engineers.

What makes this role interesting?
Direct contribution to augmented hearing research at Meta — technology aimed at helping people hear better in the hardest listening situations. The scientist sets direction for their own studies on meta-trimmers, works hands-on with prototype head-worn hardware in purpose-built listening labs, and sees scientific findings translate into requirements for future hearing technology

Competitive market comparison & Unique Selling Points
Access to Meta prototype hearing/head-worn devices, dedicated listening-lab facilities, and a cross-functional audio research organization spanning science, hardware, and software — a combination rarely available in academia or in traditional hearing-aid industry roles. Genuine research autonomy on an active program rather than execution-only work.

Value added or experience gained
Experience running hearing-science research at the intersection of psychoacoustics, signal processing, and consumer wearable hardware; exposure to Meta-scale research infrastructure; publication-relevant work in speech-in-noise and hearing-assistive processing; and broad cross-functional collaboration experience.

Must-Have Skills
1 Hearing science & psychoacoustics domain expertise
2 Hands-on hearing-aid / hearing-assistive signal processing and fitting approaches
3 Designing, running, and analyzing human-subject listening studies (onsite, Redmond)

Nice-to-have Skills
1 Speech-in-noise measurement and speech intelligibility enhancement
2 Wearable / head-worn audio device experience; microphone arrays, beamforming, or spatial audio
3 Publication track record in hearing science, audiology, or audio signal processing; prototyping in MATLAB/Python

Years of Experience & in what
8+ years in hearing science / psychoacoustics and hearing-assistive signal processing, including independent research leadership (IC5 equivalent). PhD research experience counts toward this.

Degrees/Certifications Required
PhD in Hearing Science, Audiology, Auditory Neuroscience, Acoustics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent practical research experience.

Meta background preference
Prior Meta / Reality Labs Research experience is a plus (faster ramp on tooling and prototype workflows) but not required.


Are there any immediate disqualifiers or red flags that stand out?
● Unable or unwilling to work onsite in Redmond, WA (remote is not an option for this role)
● No hands-on hearing-aid / hearing-assistive signal processing or fitting experience
● No experience designing and running human-subject listening studies
● Requires close supervision / unable to independently set study direction

What are some difficulties that the candidate should be aware they may face in the role and need to be able to handle to be successful?
● Picking up two in-flight workstreams from departing DRIs, with limited handover overlap
● Operating in two different modes at once: setting new direction on meta-trimmers while executing pre-planned studies on SIN on glasses
● Ambiguity and shifting priorities typical of early-stage research; must self-direct
● Hands-on work with early prototype hardware that is still evolving
● Strict onsite presence requirement and coordination across multiple cross-functional partners
 

If this is a role that interests you and you’d like to learn more, click apply now and a recruiter will be in touch with you to discuss this great opportunity. We look forward to speaking with you!

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