Technical Program Manager – World Model

About the Institute of Foundation Models We are a dedicated research lab for building, understanding, using, and risk-managing foundation models. Our mandate is to advance research, nurture the next generation of AI builders, and drive transformative contributions to a knowledge-driven economy.

As part of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to work on the core of cutting-edge foundation model training, alongside world-class researchers, data scientists, and engineers, tackling the most fundamental and impactful challenges in AI development. You will participate in the development of groundbreaking AI solutions that have the potential to reshape entire industries. Strategic and innovative problem-solving skills will be instrumental in establishing MBZUAI as a global hub for high-performance computing in deep learning, driving impactful discoveries that inspire the next generation of AI pioneers.

The Role

As the Technical Program Manager for our World Model team, you will be the operational backbone of IFM's most ambitious research frontier: PAN (Physical, Agentic, Nested). While most world models focus on generating static, visual 3D scenes, PAN is focused on interactive reasoning and long-horizon simulation with environments you can actually act in. We are seeking a highly technical operator who is deeply passionate about the future of interactive AI and has been an avid user and follower of early generation models (e.g., Sora and similar platforms). You will impose the rigor required to scale PAN-v2, translating cutting-edge Generative Latent Prediction (GLP) research into clear, actionable training milestones. You will dive directly into the engine room by managing compute allocation, unblocking data pipelines, scaling our evaluation frameworks, and ensuring our researchers have the operational support they need to maintain high-velocity delivery.