Riot Games · 1 day ago
Staff Data Scientist - AI Foundations, ML Bots
LA Metro Area
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
5+ years expRiot Games is focused on enhancing player experiences through advanced machine learning and AI technologies. They are seeking a Staff Data Scientist to lead the design and development of Game Understanding Agents, focusing on in-game AI capabilities and mentoring engineers in the ML Bots team.
ComputerDeveloper PlatformPC GamesVideo Games
Responsibilities
Lead the design and implementation of ML systems using methods including reinforcement learning and imitation learning (e.g., behavior cloning, inverse reinforcement learning), on-/off-policy algorithms, policy gradient methods, behavior shaping, and hybrid systems that combine learned policies with rule-based or scripted components
Lead the development, and deployment of in-game Game AI capabilities, focusing on training agents that can understand game state, make decisions, and act in ways that create compelling player experiences
You will create reusable training and evaluation pipelines that can be applied across multiple game genres while adapting to the unique constraints of each title
Develop predictive features and signals from gameplay telemetry, unstructured game data, and simulation outputs, ensuring quality, interpretability, and reliability
Collaborate with game and platform engineers, along with UX teams, to ensure the operational reliability of autonomous agents operating in live player environments
Mentor junior and senior-level ML engineers, elevating expertise in advanced ML methods for game AI and guiding architectural and system-level decisions
Contribute to and shape shared frameworks for autonomous agent development, accelerating adoption of best practices across Riot
Qualification
Required
Extensive experience (5+ years) delivering ML systems in production, including reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or simulation-based training in rich, interactive environments such as game worlds or multi-agent simulations; Or if from academia, Ph.D. in a related field, with 3+ years experience
Experience developing predictive features and signals from gameplay telemetry, simulation data, or other complex interactive environments
Strong track record building and optimizing agent-based systems or world models for dynamic, player-facing environments
Experience with relevant ML methods, including reinforcement learning and imitation learning (such as behavior cloning and inverse reinforcement learning), on-/off-policy algorithms, policy gradient methods, behavior shaping, and hybrid systems that combine learned policies with rule-based or scripted components
Experience with experiment design, model evaluation, and optimization for autonomous agents
Track record of incorporating human considerations into AI applications, such as responsible AI practices and human-computer interaction or UX best practices
Experience mentoring engineers and collaborating with cross-disciplinary teams
Familiarity with integrating ML-driven agents into live game environments with game and platform engineers
Familiarity with MOBA game mechanics and their implications for agent design and evaluation
Proficiency in Python and experience working with modern ML/data science libraries and frameworks (e.g. PyTorch/TensorFlow, pandas)
Benefits
Open paid time off policy
Flexible work schedules
Medical, dental, and life insurance
Parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children
401k with company match
Company
Riot Games
Riot Games is a global company that develops online games.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Riot Games has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (98)
2024 (65)
2023 (113)
2022 (80)
2021 (84)
2020 (70)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$21M2018-12-31Series Unknown· $6M
2016-11-14Convertible Note
2011-02-01Acquired
Leadership Team
A. Dylan Jadeja
Chief Executive Officer
Brandon Beck
Co-chairman, Co-founder
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase