Research Talent Partner — MRS Research Lab

The Meta Research Systems Research Lab is a newly created research organization within Meta, focused on reimagining the science of AI recommendation modeling through industry-leading exploratory research. The lab is building what's next: LLM-native recommendation systems from the ground up — where a large language model serves as the core recommendation engine, trained on Meta's unique engagement data across organic content and ads. The researchers in this lab are pushing the boundaries of what recommendation systems can do — and their work has the potential to redefine how billions of people experience the internet. This is not a traditional HR Business Partner assignment. We are seeking a Research Talent Partner — a deeply embedded operator who will function as an extension of the Research Lab head and serve as the connective tissue between leading AI researchers and the organizational systems that support them. You will work alongside some of the top AI researchers in the world, building the environment and talent infrastructure needed for breakthrough science. This role requires someone who understands how top-tier researchers think, what motivates them, and how to Where a traditional HRBP provides strategic advisory across broad client groups, this role demands deep immersion in a single research lab — acting as a partner, operator, and talent strategist all in one.

Responsibilities

• Act as a direct extension of the Research Lab head — coordinating initiatives, helping lead and manage the team, and driving strategic priorities for the lab
• Drive operational rhythm for the lab: research planning cycles, headcount and resource allocation, lab-wide communications, and cross-functional coordination
• Partner with the lab head on organizational design decisions as the lab scales, ensuring the structure supports the research mission
• Own the end-to-end talent strategy for the MRS Research Lab, including pipeline development, and retention of world-class AI researchers
• Build and nurture the academic-to-industry pipeline — cultivating relationships with top universities, research institutions, and the broader AI research community
• Drive cross-lab collaborations with other Meta research organizations (e.g., FAIR, GenAI) to foster knowledge sharing and joint research initiatives
• Develop and execute strategies for research intern programs, visiting researcher programs, and postdoctoral fellowships
• Conduct deep talent diagnostics — understanding the unique motivations, career aspirations, and development needs of individual researchers
• Design and implement bespoke development plans for researchers that honor the distinct nature of a research career path (publications, patents, conference presence, open-source contributions)
• Own strategic onboarding — directly handling all onboarding for new researchers, ensuring they are set up for maximum impact from day one
• Serve as a trusted advisor to researchers on career growth, navigating Meta's organizational landscape, and maximizing their research impact
• Shape and steward the lab environment — fostering intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, open collaboration, and a supportive team dynamic
• Organize and facilitate lab events, research seminars, reading groups, and community-building activities that strengthen the lab's identity and cohesion
• Monitor and act on researcher engagement signals, proactively addressing retention risks and ensuring the lab remains a destination for top talent

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in talent management, HR business partnership, research operations, or an equivalent role supporting technical or research organizations
• Experience working directly with researchers, scientists, or highly specialized technical talent
• Demonstrated ability to operate as both a strategic partner and a hands-on executor
• Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to earn trust with senior researchers and research leadership
• Effective communication and critical thinking skills
• Experience using data to identify insights that drive action
• Demonstrated experience learning and thriving in a constantly changing, ambiguous environment
• Project management experience with the ability to prioritize and drive competing initiatives based on impact, deadlines, and stakeholder needs Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact (e.g., efficiency gains, quality improvements)
• Management, or a technical discipline)
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools to optimize/redesign workflows and drive measurable impact
• Professional working proficiency in Mandarin a plus, as the role may involve engaging with researchers and academic institutions in Mandarin-speaking regions
• Familiarity with the AI research ecosystem — including academic hiring cycles, publication culture, conference circuits (NeurIPS, ICML, AAAI, RecSys, etc.), and researcher career paths
• Direct experience supporting AI/ML research labs, academic departments, or R&D organizations
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., Organizational Psychology, HR
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices (e.g., risk assessment, bias mitigation, quality and accuracy reviews)
• Demonstrated ongoing AI skill development (e.g., prompt/context engineering, agent orchestration) and staying current with emerging AI technologies
• Experience building academic-to-industry talent pipelines or research intern/fellowship programs
• Experience adhering to and implementing responsible, ethical AI practices