Real-time Video Researcher

Real-time Video Researcher About the Role At Pika, we are pioneering next-generation creative infrastructure built around real-time video generation and intelligent, agentic platforms. We are seeking an accomplished Real-time Video Researcher to drive forward our mission to make agentic real-time video technology accessible, dynamic, and transformative for millions of creators. As a core member of our research team, you will be integral to designing and building foundational technologies, developing novel approaches for real-time video synthesis, and orchestrating intelligent agentic systems that power scalable, interactive multimedia experiences. You will collaborate closely with engineering and product teams, shaping the future of real-time creative platforms. What You’ll Do Lead and contribute to research efforts focused on real-time video generation, streaming, editing, and orchestration of agentic platform infrastructure Design and prototype novel algorithms and architectures for real-time, high-fidelity video synthesis and interactive experiences Focus heavily on real-time aspects of video generation and synthesis Work on diffusion model distillation and develop diffusion-based world models for video applications Train and finetune autoregressive models and diffusion models with a focus on real-time performance Curate specific datasets, especially for camera motion and human motion data Collaborate with cross-functional teams to bring research advancements into production-ready technologies Publish work in top-tier conferences and journals, and communicate results internally and externally Stay at the cutting-edge of the field, monitoring new developments in real-time video, generative AI, multimodal systems, and agentic orchestration What We’re Looking For 5+ years of relevant experience, including research during graduate studies, in real-time video generation, deep learning, or related fields such as image/audio generation and deep experience in multimodals Demonstrated impact as first author on major publications in top conferences or journals (e.g., CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS, SIGGRAPH, etc.) Deep expertise in computer vision, video synthesis, generative models, and machine learning Hands-on experience with diffusion model distillation and developing diffusion-based world models Experience training and finetuning autoregressive models, especially for real-time applications Strong capability and experience in data curation, especially for camera motion and human motion datasets Experience developing and deploying real-time video systems and/or agentic orchestration infrastructure Strong programming and prototyping skills (Python, PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.) Passion for building creative tools and platforms that empower users Excellent communication and collaboration skills What We Offer Competitive salary and substantial equity in a high-growth startup Full health benefits + 401k matching and many more Collaborative, mission-driven team environment with major growth opportunities Flexible on-site/remote hybrid (HQ in Palo Alto, CA) About Pika Pika empowers creators by building state-of-the-art agentic and multimedia platforms. Our vision is to break down technical barriers to creativity, making real-time video and intelligent orchestration accessible to all. Join us and shape the next evolution of creative technology! If you are a leading researcher excited by real-time video and agentic platforms, we want to hear from you.