Director, Research Science - Tech Research

Technology Research at Riot exists to give the company early conviction on technologies that could redefine how games are built and played. Our work spans Game AI, Next-Generation AI Games, and Foundational Models, and we combine frontier research with hands-on prototyping to shape Riot’s long-term future. As Director of Research, you will be accountable for the performance, health, and long-term capability of a multi-disciplinary research organization spanning Research Scientists, Software Engineers, and emerging technical roles. You will build and lead the people systems that enable ambitious research to thrive. You will report to the Head of Research and partner closely on organizational strategy. The Head of Research owns research direction, technical quality bar, and research bets. You own the organizational structure, staffing, performance systems, and talent development that enable that ambition to be realized sustainably and at scale. Together, you form a complementary leadership pair: one defining scientific direction, the other building and sustaining the organization that delivers it. This is a full-time role based in Los Angeles, CA. Responsibilities: Organizational Leadership, Talent Strategy & Performance Own end-to-end organizational effectiveness across Tech Research, including performance management, leveling, compensation calibration, and career development across multiple technical craft ladders Define and execute headcount planning and staffing strategy in partnership with Research and Technology leadership, aligning talent to long-term research ambitions and roadmap priorities Translate research goals and backlog into clear capacity and capability plans, making disciplined staffing decisions across pillars and technical disciplines Maintain a high bar for talent density, ensuring researchers and engineers consistently operate at Riot’s expected level of craft and impact Lead hiring, onboarding, development, and when necessary, performance management and exits with clarity and consistency Identify capability gaps and proactively build plans to address them through hiring, development, or structural changes Build scalable mentorship systems and strengthen team health, engagement, and sustainability across the organization Evolve technical career ladders to support both research innovation and the engineering rigor required to operationalize that work Culture, Conflict & Craft Excellence Resolve interpersonal and cross-disciplinary conflicts with clarity, fairness, and strong judgment Foster a culture of intellectual rigor, constructive debate, and accountability Reinforce a high technical bar through structured feedback, calibration, and performance systems Build an environment where ambitious, exploratory research and hands-on engineering coexist productively Strategic Partnership Partner with the Head of Research on organizational strategy and long-term planning Provide input into research prioritization discussions, ensuring organizational capacity aligns with technical ambition Partner with the Head of Research to define what 'Impact' looks like in a research context, ensuring performance systems reward both successful prototypes and valuable 'fast-failures’ Surface talent risks, organizational friction, and scaling challenges early Ensure the research organization is structured to execute against evolving research bets Cross-Organizational Leadership Represent Tech Research as the organizational leader of the function within broader Technology leadership forums Partner with central Talent, HR, and compensation partners to ensure rigorous calibration and leveling practices Collaborate with peer leaders across Riot to ensure Research is well-integrated and positioned for long-term impact Contribute to broader AI capability planning across Technology Required Qualifications: 10+ years of experience in research, engineering, or technical organizations 4+ years managing senior technical ICs across multiple disciplines Experience leading AI/ML or frontier research organizations Demonstrated success leading performance management, compensation calibration, and leveling across different craft ladder Proven track record hiring and developing senior researchers and engineers Experience scaling or evolving a technical organization while maintaining a high quality bar Strong judgment in resolving conflict and navigating high-ambiguity environments Excellent communication skills across technical and executive audiences Desired Qualifications: Experience managing hybrid research and engineering teams Experience building mentorship frameworks across multiple technical disciplines Background in game development, applied AI, or interactive systems Track record of improving organizational sustainability and performance in fast-growing technical teams For This Role, You’ll Find Success Through: Experience enabling technical leadership through aligned organizational execution Principled and fair leadership in moments of ambiguity High standards paired with empathy and accountability Strong partnership with technical leadership Building an organization that is ambitious, sustainable, and respected For this role, you'll find success through craft expertise and a collaborative spirit that prioritizes the delight of players. We will look at your past studies and experience, but for this role, we also look for dedicated people with a personal relationship with games. If you embody player empathy and care about players' experiences, this is the role for you! Our Perks: Riot focuses on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy and other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner, and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information. At Riot Games, we put players first. That mission drives every decision in our quest to create games and experiences that make it better to be a player. Whether you’re working directly on a new player-facing experience or you’re supporting the company as a whole, everyone at Riot is part of our mission. And just like in our games, we’re better when we work together. Our goal is to create collaborative teams where you are empowered to bring your unique perspective everyday. If that sounds like the kind of place you want to work, we’re looking forward to your application. It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law. We consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including the California Fair Chance Act, the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the Washington Fair Chance Act. Per the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the following core duties may create a basis for disqualifying candidates with relevant criminal histories: Safeguarding confidential and sensitive Company data Communication with others, including Rioters and third parties such as vendors, and/or players, including minors Accessing Company assets, secure digital systems, and networks Ensuring a safe interactive environment for players and other Rioters These duties are directly related to essential operations, safety, trust, and compliance obligations within our organization. Please note that job duties may evolve based on business needs and additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to maintain operational efficiency and security.