Application Guide
How to Apply for Research Scientist
at Goodfire
🏢 About Goodfire
Goodfire appears to be an AI research company focused specifically on interpretability—understanding how large models work internally. This suggests a unique mission-driven environment where research directly impacts AI safety and transparency, likely attracting those passionate about making AI more explainable and trustworthy.
About This Role
This Research Scientist role involves conducting original interpretability research, prototyping visualization techniques for model internals, and collaborating with engineering teams to build production tools. It's impactful because you'll help define research direction and contribute to publications and open-source projects that advance the field of AI transparency.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve experimenting with new visualization techniques for model activations in PyTorch, collaborating with engineers to integrate research prototypes into tools, analyzing results from interpretability experiments, and contributing to research papers or open-source documentation. You'd balance hands-on coding with strategic discussions about research direction.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Goodfire Is Looking For
- Has a PhD or equivalent deep research experience in ML/CS with hands-on work on large models
- Demonstrates genuine curiosity about model internals through projects, papers, or open-source contributions in interpretability
- Is fluent in Python/PyTorch and can quickly prototype research ideas into working code
- Combines strong technical skills with clear communication to explain complex concepts to diverse audiences
📝 Tips for Applying to Goodfire
Highlight specific interpretability projects or papers in your resume—mention techniques like activation visualization, feature visualization, or circuit analysis
Include links to relevant open-source contributions (GitHub repos, PyPI packages) that demonstrate your prototyping skills
Tailor your application to show how your research interests align with Goodfire's focus on interpretability—avoid generic ML applications
Prepare a research statement or portfolio showcasing how you've turned research into tools or visualizations
Emphasize collaboration examples where you worked with engineering teams to productionize research findings
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your specific interest in interpretability research and why Goodfire's focus appeals to you", "Examples of how you've prototyped techniques to visualize or manipulate model structures", 'Demonstrated ability to collaborate across research and engineering teams', 'Your approach to taking ownership and moving quickly in a research environment']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Investigate if Goodfire has published any interpretability research papers or open-source tools
- → Look for company demos or blog posts about their approach to model visualization
- → Research their engineering team structure to understand how research integrates with production
- → Explore their open-source contributions to see their technical stack and coding standards
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Applying with generic ML experience without highlighting specific interpretability work
- Focusing only on theoretical research without demonstrating prototyping or implementation skills
- Failing to show how you've collaborated with engineering teams or contributed to open-source projects
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!