Research PhD - self-improving AI agents for recommendation
Criteo
What You'll Do:
As part of its ongoing transformation into an agentic-ready platform, Criteo is spearheading the integration of agentic AI across its full portfolio. These systems are already being deployed to automate internal operations, assist clients in the management and optimization of advertising campaigns, and to power personal shopping agents—autonomous assistants that act on behalf of end-users. These agents must reason, remember, and act autonomously in environments characterized by uncertainty, variability, and scale.
To fulfill this vision, one of the most pressing challenges is adaptability. Our agents must function across an extremely heterogeneous client base — each with unique product catalogs, optimization targets, and interface constraints while interacting with users and inferring their intents.
During this PhD, you will:
Explore and assess current methods for adaptive and self‑improving LLM-based agents, identifying directions relevant to virtual shopping assistants.
Define a research plan and build successive prototypes to improve agent understanding, adaptation, and recommendation quality across varied merchants and user intents.
Design and run experiments to compare approaches, refine ideas, and validate hypotheses with clear, reproducible methodology.
Communicate results internally and target publications in leading ML / NLP / IR / RL venues.
Who You Are:
Master’s in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Machine Learning, or related field.
Strong foundation in machine learning and deep learning.
Familiarity with large language models, transformers, reinforcement learning, or continual learning.
Hands-on experience in Python and a major DL framework (preferably PyTorch).
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
We acknowledge that many candidates may not meet every single role requirement listed above. If your experience looks a little different from our requirements but you believe that you can still bring value to the role, we’d love to see your application!
Who We Are:
Criteo is a leader in commerce media, helping brands, agencies, and publishers create meaningful consumer connections through AI-powered advertising solutions. We’re shaping a more open and sustainable digital future for advertising.
At Criteo, our culture is as unique as it is diverse. From our offices across the globe or from the comfort of home, our 3,600 Criteos collaborate together to build an open, impactful, and forward-thinking environment.
We foster a workplace where everyone is valued, and employment decisions are based solely on skills, qualifications, and business needs—never on non-job-related factors or legally protected characteristics.
What We Offer:
🏢 Ways of working – Our hybrid model blends home with in-office experiences, making space for both.
📈 Grow with us – Learning, mentorship & career development programs.
💪 Your wellbeing matters – Health benefits, wellness perks & mental health support.
🤝 A team that cares – Diverse, inclusive, and globally connected.
💸 Fair pay & perks – Attractive salary, with performance-based rewards and family-friendly policies, plus the potential for equity depending on role and level.
Additional benefits may vary depending on the country where you work and the nature of your employment with Criteo.