Job Title

Senior Research Scientist – Algorithms & Distributed SystemsTeam: YAL – Advanced R&D DivisionLocation: HyderabadType: Full-time · Hands-on Applied ResearchCompensation: Competitive (Aligned with top-tier engineering talent)About YALYAL is building a secure, AI-native communication and discovery platform designed for hundreds of millions of users.Our systems combine large-scale real-time messaging infrastructure with graph-based, relevance-driven discovery and ranking systems — optimized for ultra-low latency, storage efficiency, privacy, and adversarial robustness.This is foundational systems work.We are not iterating on existing patterns — we are designing next-generation infrastructure.The RoleWe are looking for an exceptional algorithmic thinker with deep distributed systems knowledge who can operate at competitive-programming level and translate theory into production-grade systems.This is a hands-on applied research role. You will design novel algorithms, prototype them, benchmark them, and deploy them into real infrastructure.You will work directly within the Advanced R&D division to define architectural standards across messaging, real-time systems, and discovery engines.Core Responsibilities1. Messaging & Distributed SystemsDesign scalable fan-out mechanisms for large groups (10k–100k members).Develop efficient sharding strategies for billions of daily events.Implement offline-first synchronization (CRDTs, vector clocks, delta compression).Optimize distributed storage (tiered storage, compaction, indexing).Ensure sub-50ms read latencies under heavy load.2. Real-Time Communication InfrastructureDesign adaptive jitter buffer algorithms.Implement congestion control and bandwidth scheduling strategies.Optimize latency-sensitive streaming architectures.Evaluate and tune scalable codec pipelines.3. Discovery & Recommendation SystemsBuild large-scale similarity search systems (ANN, HNSW, vector indexing).Design graph-based recommendation algorithms.Architect ranking models combining embeddings, graph signals, and trust signals.Develop distributed indexing strategies for billions of embeddings.4. Research & OptimizationImprove algorithmic complexity and constant-factor efficiency.Optimize memory layout and cache performance.Benchmark distributed systems under adversarial and peak loads.Publish internal RFCs defining architectural direction.Bar for ExcellenceWe are not hiring routine engineers.You should:Be deeply fluent in data structures, dynamic programming, graph algorithms, and optimization.Reason rigorously about time/space complexity.Understand distributed system trade-offs and failure modes.Be comfortable implementing high-performance systems in C++ / Rust / Go / Java.Move seamlessly from theoretical modeling to production deployment.Enjoy solving hard problems under constraint.Competitive programming background (ICPC/IOI/Codeforces-level) is strongly valued but not mandatory if equivalent depth is demonstrated.Required ExpertiseAdvanced data structures & algorithmsDistributed systems designStorage engines & indexingVector search & approximate nearest neighborsGraph modeling & ranking systemsPerformance profiling & optimizationReal-time systems fundamentalsWhat Success Looks LikeWithin 3 months:You deliver a prototype improving latency, synchronization efficiency, or discovery quality.Your benchmarks influence architectural decisions.Your RFCs become reference documents for implementation teams.Your work directly powers large-scale production systems.Why Join YALRare opportunity to design large-scale communication + discovery infrastructure together.Applied research that directly ships to users.Work on problems at internet scale from day one.High ownership and technical autonomy.Competitive compensation.