MANY Hired

Research scientist resume keywords

We counted the skills in 403 open research scientist job postings from 109 employers, including Jump Trading, Jane Street and IMC. The ones employers ask for most are machine learning (70% of postings), Python (31%) and LLMs (29%). 67% of the postings mention AI, though often in the company's description rather than as a skill the job needs.

Top skills and tools in research scientist postings

#KeywordShare of postings
1machine learning 70%
2Python 31%
3LLMs 29%
4prototyping 26%
5statistics 24%
6algorithms 22%
7deep learning 21%
8A/B testing 15%
9trading 15%
10PyTorch 15%
11product roadmap 12%
12analytics 11%
13automation 10%
14C++ 10%
15shipping 9%
16generative AI 9%
17forecasting 8%
18sales 8%
19TensorFlow 8%
20NLP 8%
21computer vision 7%
22UX 7%
23data analysis 7%
24customer experience 7%
25marketing 6%
26data pipelines 6%
27logistics 6%
28observability 6%
29product design 5%
30onboarding 5%

Share of the 403 postings whose description names the skill (plurals and common spellings, such as “JS” and “JavaScript”, count as one).

Soft skills employers mention

collaboration · 18%creativity · 12%communication · 11%ownership · 8%leadership · 7%cross-functional · 6%decision making · 5%analytical skills · 5%mentoring · 4%

Show these through results in your bullets (“led a team of six”) rather than listing them as adjectives.

How to use these keywords on your research scientist resume

  1. Start with the posting, not this list. These are averages across 403 jobs; the one you're applying for has its own priorities. Use this page to spot common gaps, then match the specific posting.
  2. Name skills the way employers do. If you use “machine learning”, “Python” and “LLMs”, write those exact words. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters search for them, and a close synonym can be missed.
  3. Put each skill in a bullet that shows a result. Naming prototyping inside a bullet about what you achieved with it, with a number where you can, is stronger than listing it alone in a skills section.
  4. Add only what's true. If you've worked with “prototyping”, “statistics” and “algorithms” but your resume doesn't say so, add it. If you haven't, leave it out: interviews expose padded resumes quickly.

More about research scientist jobs

Resume keywords for other jobs

How these numbers are calculated

Every figure comes from open research scientist job postings on MANY Hired, imported from employers' own career pages. For each posting we pick out the skills, tools, certifications and qualifications its description names, then count how many postings ask for each one. A job counts as research scientist by its title. Updated November 8, 2026.