Applied Researcher in Generative

Country: Spain

IT STARTS HERE
Santander ) is evolving from
a global, high-impact brand
into a
technology-driven organization
, and our people are at the heart of this journey.
Together
, we are driving a
customer-centric transformation
that values bold
thinking, innovation
, and the
courage to challenge
what's possible.

This is more than a strategic shift.
It's a chance for
driven professionals
to grow, learn, and make a real difference
.

Our mission is to contribute to help more
people and businesses prosper
. We embrace a strong risk culture and all our professionals at all levels are expected to take a proactive and responsible approach toward risk management.

Our
Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAIO) division
is building a world-class AI & Data team to make a difference in the lives of over 170 million people worldwide, through one of the largest banks in the world.

We are undergoing one of the biggest transformations in our history and technology is at the heart of our strategy. Join our team to play a part in one of the most important technological projects for the financial sector in the world.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU MAKE
Santander AI Labs
is looking for an
APPLIED RESEARCHER IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
based out of
MADRID
.

At Santander AI Lab,
we are building the world's leading financial AI research hub
— a place where science, technology, and impact converge.

Our mission is to
redefine the future of banking through frontier AI research
. We bring together researchers, engineers, and innovators from across the globe to pioneer breakthroughs in large language models, agentic AI, reinforcement learning, autonomous systems, and responsible AI governance.
We create
not just incremental improvements, but moonshot innovations that transform how millions of people interact with their money, businesses, and society.
You will join a
world-class team with access to proprietary financial datasets, high-performance computing infrastructure, and partnerships with top universities and research institutes worldwide
. We actively support
publishing in top-tier venues
(NeurIPS, ICML, ACL, CVPR, KDD, etc.), collaborations with academia, and global conference participation.

We're
shaping the way we work
through innovation, cutting-edge technology, collaboration and the freedom to explore new ideas. To succeed in this role, you will be responsible for:

• Adapt, fine‑tune, and align advanced LLMs for Santander use cases.
• Design and build Agentic AI systems: multi‑agent workflows, autonomous decision pipelines, tool‑using agents.
• Develop end‑to‑end prototypes demonstrating frontier applications (fraud, credit risk, onboarding, autonomous finance).
• Collaborate with Research Scientists to operationalize novel models.
• Work with ML engineers and product stakeholders to scale research outcomes.
• Integrate GenAI and Agentic AI breakthroughs into rapid experimental cycles.
• Ensure compliance with Responsible AI standards.
• Contribute to open‑source initiatives and represent the Lab in academic/industry forums.

What You'll Bring
Our people are our greatest strength. Every individual contributes unique perspectives that make us stronger as a team and as an organization. We're
enabling teams to go beyond
by valuing who they are and empowering what they bring.

The following requirements represent the knowledge, skills, and abilities essential for success in this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Professional Experience

• 3–5+ years applying AI/ML in real systems (required).
• Demonstrable experience with LLMs: fine‑tuning, RAG, evaluation (required).
• Proven experience building Agentic AI systems (required).
• Strong prototyping track record influencing product or research direction (required).
• Experience in AI labs or R&D environments (preferred).
• Financial domain experience (preferred).

Education

• Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, or related fields. (Required).
• Postdoctoral research or equivalent industrial research experience in AI will be valued (Preferred).

Languages

• Fluent English and Spanish, both written and spoken (Required).

Hard Skills

• Expertise in transformers, LLM internals, tuning strategies. (Required)
• Python + PyTorch/TensorFlow/JAX. (Required)
• Experience with agent frameworks (LangChain, AutoGen, ReAct, OpenAI Agents...). (Required)
• Cloud & MLOps: AWS/Azure/GCP, Docker, Kubernetes, MLflow. (Required)
• Ability to scale research models to enterprise systems. (Required)
• Understanding of Responsible & Safe AI. (Required)

Soft Skills

• Creativity. Research mindset. Passion for pushing the boundaries of AI technology will be highly valued.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills, able to work across research and product teams.

WE VALUE YOUR IMPACT
Your contribution matters
, and it's recognized. You can expect a fair, competitive reward package that reflects
the impact you create
and the value you deliver. But we know rewards go beyond numbers.

• We're enable our teams to go beyond through global opportunities and broad career paths.
• Flexibility that works. Enjoy a hybrid working models—some days remote, some days onsite with your team—along with flexible hours.
• Learning for life. Access hundreds of courses on our platforms, including exclusive access to our global learning space: Santander Open Academy )
• Competitive rewards. Receive a highly competitive salary with performance-based bonuses, motivating you to keep growing with us.
• Financial advantages. Benefit from preferential banking terms, special interest rates on loans, life insurance, and more.
• Your health is our priority. Through BeHealthy, our global wellness programme, we promote Holistic wellbeing.
• We know family is everything. That's why we offer childcare support and family-friendly programmes tailored to each life stage.
• Always by your side. Get access to Santander Contigo, our program for employees and their families offering legal, emotional, and administrative advisory services.
• Extra benefits. Gym/WellHub membership, medical centers in some of our facilities, meal subsidy, parking, shuttle service from various points in Madrid, as well as exclusive discounts and offers for Santander employees. And that's only the beginning—we'll tell you more when you join

We're here to
keep you motivated
, help you reach your goals, and celebrate your progress, every step of the way.

LOCAL COMPLIANCE
Santander is proud of being an organization where there are equal opportunities regardless of age, gender, disability, civil status, race, religion or sexual orientation. We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible application process for all candidates.

What To Do Next
If this sounds like a role you are interested in, then please apply.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN YOUR JOURNEY?