Join our team and help build the future of mental healthcare

Current openings
Research Scientist

Remote (EST hours)

About our team

We are redefining what it means to evaluate mental wellbeing. It is becoming ever more important for businesses and organizations to include mental wellbeing in their evaluations of their members. In performance-driven customers, properly taking into account mental wellbeing can make a difference in both health and efficiency, while in mission-critical customers, the difference can be life or death.

At Okaya, our AI doesn’t just crunch numbers—it reasons, empathizes, and adapts. You’ll work hand‑in‑hand with experts, designers, and fellow engineers to build a platform that feels genuinely human.

What you’ll build

  • Evidence-based assessment models: Develop AI models that transform multimodal data (voice, facial cues, text) into clinically meaningful insights aligned with established psychological frameworks. Research, design, and implement new approaches for digital mental health assessment that advance the field beyond conventional methods.
  • Translational AI systems: Bridge the gap between scientific research and practical applications through AI models that can interpret complex behavioral signals in real-world contexts.
  • Validation methodologies: Ideate and implement validation studies to prove the efficacy of novel assessment approaches.

Your work will directly affect how our customers view and interpret mental health insights, and will hopefully lead to happier, healthier, and more productive lives across the world.

Skills you’ll need

  • Relevant research experience: PhD in Psychology, Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Artificial Intelligence, Affective Computing, or related field with demonstrated research in mental health assessment using novel approaches. Your publications should show contributions and expertise in the intersection of mental health and technology.
  • Research leadership: Experience leading research initiatives from hypothesis to publication, with experience in study design, data collection protocols, and ethical review processes.
  • Scientific rigor and statistical expertise: Ability to interpret clinical research papers and implement their findings with appropriate statistical methodologies. Experience designing validation studies for similar technologies.
  • Ability to translate research into computational implementations: Experience designing and validating assessment methodologies that can be implemented algorithmically. You should be comfortable moving between scientific literature and technical implementation. We do not expect you to be an expert in engineering, but you will be expected to prototype your ideas with little to no assistance using tools such as Python, PyTorch, Hugging Face, DeepSpeed, and TensorBoard.

Day‑to‑day

  • Lead clinical research initiatives to validate and improve our current assessment methodologies.
  • Collaborate with clinical advisors and review literature to translate psychiatric methodologies into computational prototypes.
  • Present and eventually publish findings to advance the field of digital mental health.
  • Collaborate across time zones (we're global) to review new research, validate model behaviors, and refine assessment approaches.
  • Write clear documentation and deliver engaging presentations that bridge AI intricacies and clinical impact.

Why you’ll love it here

  • Research publication opportunities: We actively encourage and support publishing your research in academic journals and presenting at conferences.
  • Project ownership: You’ll have a heavy influence on our research roadmap—identify clinical needs, propose innovative solutions, and implement them.
  • Multidisciplinary growth: Blend clinical research, AI development, and product thinking daily.
  • Remote-friendly with flexibility: We offer remote work options with flexible scheduling. Work where you're most productive while staying connected.
  • Compensation: Equity and market‑competitive pay in a tight‑knit startup where your voice truly matters.
  • Culture: We champion self‑care, flexibility, and the freedom to experiment.

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary and equity
  • Fully remote culture with flexible hours
  • Budget for conferences and events
  • Quarterly team offsites
  • Mission-driven team environment

Tagline

Apply Now

Please remember that for all these positions you need to be able to legally work in the US; we cannot sponsor applicants at the moment.We will not consider agencies at this time. Thank you!

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