Senior Research Scientist

Senior Research ScientistCountry: Spain

It Starts Here

Santander (www.santander.com) is evolving from a global, high-impact brand into a technology-driven organization, and our people are at the heart of this journey. Together, we are driving a customer-centric transformation that values bold thinking, innovation, and the courage to challenge what’s possible.

This is more than a strategic shift. It’s a chance for driven professionals to grow, learn, and make a real difference.

Our mission is to contribute to help more people and businesses prosper. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

Our Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAIO) division is building a world-class AI & Data team to make a difference in the lives of over 170 million people worldwide, through one of the largest banks in the world.

We are undergoing one of the biggest transformations in our history and technology is at the heart of our strategy. Join our team to play a part in one of the most important technological projects for the financial sector in the world.

The Difference You Make

Santander AI Labs is looking for a SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE based out of MADRID.

Your goal will be to advance state-of-the-art AI research in fields such as machine learning, natural language processing, information retrieval, computer vision, reinforcement learning, and intelligent agents — and to apply these innovations to transform the future of banking.

We’re shaping the way we work through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Stay at the frontier of AI advances and disseminate knowledge across Santander’s global technology and data community.
• Conduct cutting-edge research in AI/ML with the freedom to publish in top-tier conferences and journals (NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, CVPR, KDD, etc.).
• Design, prototype, and validate novel algorithms and models in areas including large language models, generative AI, multi-agent systems, and autonomous decision-making.
• Ensure that AI solutions are ethical, sustainable, and aligned with responsible AI principles.
• Collaborate with applied researchers, scientists, ML engineers, and product teams to scale research into production-ready solutions for financial services.
• Develop novel algorithms, models, and prototypes in areas such as large language models, agentic AI, information retrieval, and computer vision.
• Contribute to the lab’s long-term moonshot projects, driving innovation in autonomous banking, financial knowledge systems, and AI governance.
• Mentor PhD students, interns, and junior researchers in developing advanced AI methods.

What You’Ll Bring

Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organization. We’re enabling teams to go beyond by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Professional Experience

• At least 5 years of research experience in AI, machine learning, deep learning, NLP, computer vision, information retrieval, reinforcement learning, or related areas (Required).
• Experience publishing in top AI conferences or journals (Required).
• Proven experience in developing prototypes and validating novel techniques on large-scale datasets (Required).
• Experience working in research labs, advanced R&D teams, or innovation units with a strong techno-scientific focus (Required).
• Research Background: Strong publication record in top-tier AI/ML/NLP/CV/IR venues (Required).
• Experience collaborating with academic institutions, research consortia, or open-source AI communities. (Preferred).
• Experience with high-risk data like financial data, risk modeling, or large-scale information retrieval (Preferred).
• Prior work in agentic AI, autonomous systems, or human-in-the-loop ML (Preferred).

Education

• Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or related fields (Required).
• Postdoctoral research or equivalent industrial research experience in AI will be valued (Preferred).

Languages

• Fluent English, both written and spoken (Required).

Hard Skills

• Technical Expertise: Deep learning architectures (transformers, diffusion models, multi-agent RL).  Large-scale training, optimization, and evaluation (Required).
• Strong programming skills in Python and ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX) (Required).

Soft Skills

• Creativity. Research mindset. Passion for pushing the boundaries of AI technology will be highly valued.

We Value Your Impact

Your contribution matters, and it’s recognized. You can expect a fair, competitive reward package that reflects the impact you create and the value you deliver. But we know rewards go beyond numbers.

• We’re enable our teams to go beyond through global opportunities and broad career paths.
• Flexibility that works. Enjoy a hybrid working models—some days remote, some days onsite with your team—along with flexible hours.
• Learning for life. Access hundreds of courses on our platforms, including exclusive access to our global learning space: Santander Open Academy (www.santanderopenacademy.com)
• Competitive rewards. Receive a highly competitive salary with performance-based bonuses, motivating you to keep growing with us.
• Financial advantages. Benefit from preferential banking terms, special interest rates on loans, life insurance, and more.
• Your health is our priority. Through BeHealthy, our global wellness programme, we promote Holistic wellbeing.
• We know family is everything. That’s why we offer childcare support and family-friendly programmes tailored to each life stage.
• Always by your side. Get access to Santander Contigo, our program for employees and their families offering legal, emotional, and administrative advisory services.
• Extra benefits. Gym/WellHub membership, medical centers in some of our facilities, meal subsidy, parking, shuttle service from various points in Madrid, as well as exclusive discounts and offers for Santander employees. And that’s only the beginning—we’ll tell you more when you join!

We’re here to keep you motivated, help you reach your goals, and celebrate your progress, every step of the way.

Local Compliance

Santander is proud of being an organization where there are equal opportunities regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible application process for all candidates.

What To Do Next

If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.
 

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR JOURNEY?

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