Scientifique-chercheur en IA Appliquée /Applied AI Research Scientist

Join to apply for the Scientifique-chercheur en IA Appliquée / Applied AI Research Scientist role at Thales

Location: Montreal, Canada

Thales is a global organization operating across five major markets: aerospace, space, ground transportation, defence and security, and digital security. The company develops innovative solutions that enable tomorrow’s technology today. In Montreal, Thales leads the new Centre of Research & Technology in Artificial Intelligence Expertise (cortAIx) in partnership with leading Canadian research institutes. The Applied AI Research Team in Canada seeks a talented researcher to solve complex problems and apply research to critical machine learning projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct research in computer vision, focusing on image and video processing, deep learning models, and algorithm development.
• Develop, implement, and optimize state‑of‑the‑art vision models for object detection, segmentation, recognition, and tracking.
• Perform pioneering research in frugal learning methods (few‑shot and zero‑shot) to build efficient algorithms from limited data while maintaining generalization and accuracy.
• Validate and verify robustness of machine/deep‑learning models for real‑world applications.
• Collaborate with trans‑functional engineering teams to translate research into deployable prototypes and production‑ready systems.
• Support the deployment of trustworthy and certifiable AI models in critical systems.
• Publish research findings in top‑tier conferences and journals, and contribute to industry patents.
• Communicate effectively with technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Exercise sound judgment in selecting methods and techniques to achieve superior solutions.
• Build strong collaborations with academic or research organisations (e.g., NSERC, MITACS) and industrial partners.
• Provide system requirements and shape effective research and innovation roadmaps.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, focusing on Computer Vision, Machine/Deep Learning, or AI.
• Solid theoretical knowledge of machine learning fundamentals, supervised, unsupervised, self‑supervised, and frugal learning.
• Demonstrated experience developing and deploying computer vision algorithms in academic or industrial settings.
• Strong grasp of image sensing modalities (RGB, RADAR, Infrared, LIDAR, hyperspectral, multispectral, RGB‑D, thermal, ultrasonic, sonar, structured light).
• Proficiency with deep‑learning architectures (CNNs, Transformers, foundation models) for detection, segmentation, and recognition.
• Experience designing experiments, refining models, and optimizing performance.
• Proficiency in Python and C++, and familiarity with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit‑learn) and OpenCV.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to present scientific work clearly.
• Excellent problem‑solving abilities with creative and strategic thinking.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written). French is an advantage.

Desired Qualifications

• 2–5 years of research experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or related fields.
• Track record of publications in leading AI and computer‑vision conferences (NeurIPS, ICCV, ECCV, CVPR, AAAI, PAMI).
• Expertise in developing and deploying detection and segmentation algorithms for radar images.
• Fluency in French (spoken and written).

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits program for full‑time employees working at least 24 hours per week, including employer‑paid extended health, dental, HSA, life, AD&D, short‑term disability, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Program, and well‑being program.
• Retirement savings plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with employer contribution and matching to a DCPP, no vesting period.
• Paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave.
• Voluntary life, AD&D, critical illness, long‑term disability.
• Employee discounts on insurance (home, auto).

Thales is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Applicants who require accommodations during the hiring process should notify Thales at the time of interview scheduling.