Job Details

About Persona

Persona is the configurable identity platform built for businesses in a digital-first world. Verifying individuals and organizations is harder but more important than ever, with AI enabling fraudsters to launch sophisticated accounts at scale and regulations evolving rapidly.

We've built Persona to support practically every use case and industry that's why we're able to serve a wide range of leading companies. For example, Coursera uses Persona to ensure the right person is earning each degree. Meanwhile, OpenAI relies on Persona to keep bad actors out, protecting one of the world's most powerful AI platforms from large-scale abuse in a time when AI is reshaping the way we work and live.

We believe that making the internet safer and more human requires a team that reflects the diverse, global nature of the people we aim to serve. We're growing rapidly and looking for exceptional people to join us.

About the Role

We are seeking a Research Scientist to pioneer novel approaches in identity verification and fraud prevention. Some of our most effective solutions have come from unconventional thinking creative algorithms leveraging computer vision, anomaly detection, and statistical modeling rather than purely traditional supervised ML.

You will be our first ever dedicated research scientist, shaping our research agenda, collaborating closely with our ML team, and producing original work that both strengthens our products and advances the broader field. Your work will result in publications in top-tier conferences and journals, establishing Persona as a thought leader in the industry.

What You'll Do

1. Conceive and develop original algorithms for fraud prevention and identity verification.
2. Publish high-quality research in leading conferences and journals.
3. Build connections with academic institutions and the broader research community.

What You'll Bring

• PhD (strongly preferred) or MS in Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Machine Learning, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven research track record, demonstrated through multiple high-quality publications.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex technical ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Curiosity, creativity, and a drive to solve hard, open-ended problems.

Nice to Have

• Prior experience in an industry research lab or as a research scientist in a technology company
• Open-source contributions or public datasets related to AI/ML research
• Experience working in identity verification, fraud detection, or a similar adversarial domain

Benefits and Perks

Persona offers a wide range of thoughtful and inclusive benefits for this role, including medical, dental, and vision, 3% 401(k) contribution, quarterly mental health days, family planning benefits, professional development stipends, wellness benefits, unlimited paid time off, among others. While we believe competitive compensation and benefits are a critical aspect of you deciding to join us, we do hope you consider why our core values and culture are right for you. If you'd like to better understand what it's like working at Persona, feel free to check out our reviews on Glassdoor.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Persona, we strive to put diversity and inclusion at the forefront of everything we do, reflecting our core values. Our DEIB Employee Resource Group seeks to build a diverse and inclusive team that fosters an environment where each Personerd feels empowered to bring their unique differences to work and achieve their full innovative potential. Our hope is that by fostering such an environment, we strengthen our business and relationships by putting people first.

We strive to promote a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusiveness regardless of, but not limited to, race, gender, sexual orientation, family status, religion, ethnicity, national origin, physical disability, veteran status, or age.