ML Research Engineer - Narrative & AI Systems

As a ML Research Engineer on Embark's Machine Learning team, you will help shape the future of storytelling tools and systems for video games. We believe modern AI can unlock entirely new creative workflows for narrative design, quest building, lore creation, and player-facing reactivity. Our goal is to investigate how we can design new tools and systems that enable creators to be more ambitious, collaborate more effectively, and explore ideas with less friction rather than simply automating existing workflows. In this role, you will research, prototype, and build AI-driven narrative systems - exploring what's possible before optimizing for production. You'll work closely with writers, and designers to explore different levels of AI agency to intentionally design where AI agency makes sense and where it doesn't. This is a role for someone who is genuinely passionate about narrative and storytelling, has a research mindset, and is curious about what new AI techniques can enable in games. Example of responsibilities Build gameplay systems and tools that enable new narrative workflows and faster iteration for creators Collaborate with designers and narrative teams to understand creative needs and turn them into intuitive tooling Research and prototype AI-driven narrative systems - quest generation, reactive dialogue, authoring tools, and beyond Design and run lightweight experiments to evaluate creative AI applications Work with writers and designers to explore and prototype AI-native gameplay mechanics that preserve authorial intent while enabling emergence and reactivity Prototype experimental features quickly, then help mature the best ideas into robust solutions Help design and evaluate different degrees of AI autonomy, balancing creative ambition, reliability, and control Help define what 'good' looks like when AI is involved in storytelling We would love if you have A research or engineering background with hands-on experience in ML or LLM applications A genuine passion for narrative: games, film, interactive fiction, or otherwise Curiosity and comfort working in ambiguous, exploratory problem spaces A creator mindset: you enjoy building things that make other people more effective Comfort collaborating with writers and designers and translating creative goals into technical solutions Professional English communication skills Additionally, it's a bonus if you have Experience working in Unreal Engine or with C++ Experience with narrative systems, quest pipelines, or other creator-driven game features A background in ML, NLP, generative models, or evaluation methodologies Python experience, or interest in working across engine + services/tooling At Embark we offer competitive salaries, a generous profit-sharing program, and much more, but most of all we invite you to take part of a journey into the unknown, to build creative, surprising and beautiful experiences together. We welcome people from all backgrounds and are looking forward to reading more about you (in English)!