Overview

Join to apply for the AI Research Engineer role at Bending Spoons.

At Bending Spoons, we’re striving to build one of the all-time great companies. A company that serves a huge number of customers. A company where team members grow to their full potential. A company that functions at unparalleled levels of effectiveness and efficiency. A company that creates value for shareholders at an extraordinary rate. And a company that does so while adhering to high ethical standards. For a talented, driven, and collaborative individual, working at Bending Spoons is an opportunity to learn, make an impact, and progress their career at an exceptionally high rate. That’s our promise to such a candidate.

Responsibilities

• Power digital products with AI. Work with product teams to identify high-impact opportunities where AI can transform the user experience for millions—and then build the solutions to make them happen. Drive the process from possibility to production, delivering code that’s robust, reproducible, and built for scale.
• Explore ways to push the boundaries of our AI capabilities. Stay at the bleeding edge of AI by investigating new models, techniques, and research. Learn fast across new domains, share findings with the team, and turn breakthrough ideas into production systems that deliver real-world impact.
• Refine data foundations for exceptional results. Own the full data lifecycle—from acquisition and labeling to loading and management—to ensure our models are trained on clean, high-quality datasets that power top-performing systems.
• Own your impact, end-to-end. Set smart priorities, manage execution, and consistently deliver high-quality results, even in ambiguous or fast-changing environments. Balance technical depth with strong ownership, growing your skills while delivering meaningful contributions.

What we look for

• Reasoning ability. Given the necessary knowledge, you can solve complex problems. You think from first principles, structure your ideas sharply, resist biases, and attend to details that matter.
• Drive. You’re extremely ambitious in everything you do—and your initiative, effort, and tenacity match the intensity of your ambition. You feel deeply responsible for your work and maintain a high bar.
• Team spirit. You give generously and support the best idea, not your own. You’re reliable, honest, and transparent, and you’re happy to get your hands dirty to help the team.
• Proficiency in English. You read, write, and speak proficiently in English.

What we offer

• Incredibly talented, entrepreneurial teams. You’ll work in small, result-oriented, autonomous teams alongside some of the brightest people in your field.
• An exceptional opportunity for growth. We hire individuals of outstanding potential and aim to place them in roles where they can thrive. Spooners in their 20s lead products worth hundreds of millions of dollars; with what it takes, you’ll contribute to major projects too.
• Competitive pay and equity. Salary ranges are offered with potential equity options. Relocation or tax considerations may apply depending on location.
• All. These. Benefits. Flexible hours, remote working, support for learning, health insurance, relocation assistance, parental support, and an annual retreat.

Commitment & contract

Permanent or fixed-term. Full-time or part-time.

Location

Milan (Italy), London (UK) or remote.

The selection process

If you pass our screening, you’ll complete a series of tests designed to assess problem solving. Successful candidates are invited to a series of interviews. We set the bar high and won’t extend an offer until we’re convinced we’ve found the right candidate. This role may stay open for months or be reposted.

We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We consider all applicants and provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities—let us know through this form.

Before you apply

If you’ve applied before but didn’t receive an offer, we recommend waiting at least one year before applying again.

Bending Spoons is a demanding environment. We’re ambitious and hold ourselves to a high standard, which can require significant commitment. We suggest spending the first months working from our Milan office to ramp up quickly and absorb our culture, with travel and accommodation support. Afterward, remote or office work options may be available depending on the offer stage.

If the role speaks to you and you’re excited to give your best, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now—we can’t wait to meet you.