Speech Recognition Engineer

Buddy.ai is looking for a Speech Recognition Engineer to take communication with Buddy to the next level. You will have a direct impact on Buddy's ability to understand hundreds of millions of children around the world and enhance their education. Your work will be a key factor in improving the interaction between Buddy and young learners, making learning more effective and engaging.

Buddy.ai, the world’s first AI tutor for kids under 12

Buddy.ai provides affordable, high-quality 1X1 instruction to children worldwide using our interactive, voice-based character Buddy the Robot.

Buddy is powered by proprietary AI technology for children and features a unique UX and gameplay. He teaches kids using voice- and tap-based games in a fun-filled world created by educational experts.

With 20 million downloads last year alone, Buddy is the most popular language app for children on Google Play and one of TIME Magazine’s World's Top EdTech Rising Stars of 2024. We are backed by top VCs and angel investors, including stars of the game industry, deep tech, and Hollywood.

Here’s a short video about Buddy.ai.

Your Mission

Take the existing Buddy Speech Recognition (BSR) solution to the next level. Take the core tech stack to the next level, enabling higher quality recognition performance and smaller footprint. Conduct R&D in speech recognition for children. Develop audio data analysis and processing pipelines with the other team members.

Objectives & Outcomes

Implement a new version of BSR (BSR2) for iOS and Android using K2 & Icefall. Improve the system efficiency and cut the model footprint by a factor of four.
Automate model training, experiment with different model architectures, optimize the model performance for different classes of devices.
Develop a seamless integration between the BSR and the natural language processing pipeline to support dialogue interactions better.

Competencies

Speech Recognition Experience: Has deep knowledge and understanding of the speech recognition theory and processes.
Kaldi Experience: Has experience working and building solutions using Kaldi or K2 libraries. While this skill is optional, it is highly desirable as it has potential to speed up the onboarding tremendously.
Machine Learning Experience: Has experience with developing ASR models. Has good grasp on machine learning skills needed for training and testing new models.
Excellent Technical Skills: Highly skilled in C++ and software engineering. Writes reliable and efficient code.
Generate Ideas and insights inspired by data: Independently and proactively analyze data to generate insights and ideas for the technology development.
Proactive Problem-Solver: Takes initiative, proposes solutions, and acts without waiting for detailed instructions.
High Standards: Strives for excellence, aiming to work with A-players and learn from the best.
Excellent Communicator: Communicates reliably and clearly in both spoken and written form.
Team Player: Values collaboration, seeks and provides feedback, and listens to stakeholders, especially product development people.
Continuous Learner: Stays up-to-date with the latest in speech recognition, always hungry for new knowledge.

Gameplay (What You'll Do)

You will take the lead on developing the next generation of the Buddy Speech Recognition (BSR2).
Your job will be to continue and improve an automatic speech recognition system focused specifically on child speech at an unprecedented scale.
The solution you develop should be able to run on a variety of consumer mobile devices, in different conditions, and recognize English spoken in many different accents.
This is both a very challenging and unique task that no one has figured a solution for.
In addition to developing BSR on-device runtime, you will work with our backend engineers to develop audio processing and analysis tools for automatic and semi-automatic improvements of the BSR models.
You will also work on extending existing and developing new BSR testing capabilities.
You will work closely with other people on the AI team to integrate speech recognition and natural language processing to create a smoother, more natural interaction between Buddy and student.
You will also study the unique properties and challenges of child speech as compared to adult speech and propose solutions for those issues.

Position details

Geography: Fully remote, based between Pacific Time Zone (Los Angeles, U.S.) and GMT+3 (Istanbul).
Language: Must speak English. Russian is a plus.
Remote position: 100% remote with 2-4 strategic offsite sessions per year.
Compensation and benefits:
- Competitive market salary
- Paid sick leave and vacation days
- Significant equity compensation (stock options)

Ready for the best job in the world!

We at Buddy.ai are leading the AI revolution in early learning. Our mission is to make 1X1 tutoring available for every child worldwide and help resolve the global teacher shortage. Here’s what sets our company apart:

Unique product: At Buddy.ai, we are pioneering the Multimodal AI Tutoring approach, which means our tutor is a virtual character that uses voice recognition and conversational AI to teach children. Buddy is the first product of its kind, so we innovate, brainstorm, prototype, playtest on children in a lab, and AB test using real users.
The leading consumer AI company in the early learning space: We have millions of users, and that number doubles year after year. Buddy is not another ChatGPT wrapper; we are developing proprietary AT technology for children that’s safe, fast, and compliant with COPPA and other regulations.
Mission-driven project: Our Company is inspired by our team’s experiences as immigrants and parents, as well as those of our children.
Impact and love: It’s a great feeling knowing that you are building an educational product that helps children thrive. You can always draw inspiration and satisfaction from the love of Buddy’s users.
Perfect job for Moms and Dads: Many (in fact, most) of our team members are parents. We draw inspiration from our children's experiences with Buddy.ai. It is a special feeling when your child admiringly asks, “Mom, did you really create Buddy?
Friendly, open, and informal work environment: Our small (but growing) team is horizontally structured. All product and financial metrics are openly discussed because we work collaboratively and share everything. No politics, no BS — we work hard and have a lot of fun in the process.
Contribution and growth: A small team means the opportunity for a large individual impact. The Company is growing fast, which allows team members to grow with it and create a lasting legacy.
100% Remote work with a flexible schedule/Generous paid sick leave and vacation days.
A share of our success: This key role grants a Stock Option because when we win, we win together.

Join us in our mission to provide high-quality 1X1 tutoring to every child worldwide using AI!