Research Engineer / Research Scientist, Robotics and Physical AI
Salary$100k – $300k
LocationSan Francisco
Work modeon-site
Typefull-time
DepartmentEngineering
Company size201+ people
First seen3d ago
Last seen2d ago
About the Role
This is a hands-on research and engineering role at an early-stage AI data company focused on robotics and physical AI. You will work across learning algorithms, simulation, and hardware to push robot capabilities from simulation into real-world deployment, shaping how robots perceive, plan, and act.
What You’ll Do
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Develop learning systems for robots, including policies, world models, and vision-language-action models.
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Build and maintain simulation environments and evaluation frameworks for robotic tasks.
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Apply and advance computer vision and perception algorithms for autonomous robots.
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Build pipelines connecting simulation and real-world robot deployment across real-to-sim and sim-to-real workflows.
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Work with robot hardware, sensors, actuators, and embedded systems to prototype and test capabilities.
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Train and evaluate reinforcement-learning and imitation-learning systems for manipulation, locomotion, or mobile platforms.
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Integrate robot platforms to validate algorithms in the physical world.
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Create tools and infrastructure that accelerate robotics research and development.
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Collaborate with external robotics companies and research labs on technical challenges.
What We’re Looking For
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Strong software skills in C++ and Python.
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Practical experience with deep learning, reinforcement learning, and computer vision.
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Demonstrated hands-on robotics research and engineering experience beyond academic prototypes alone.
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Real-to-sim and sim-to-real workflow experience; familiarity with simulation platforms such as Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, MJX, or Genesis is a plus.
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Hands-on mechanical and hardware engineering experience, including sensors, actuators, CAD, and embedded systems.
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Relevant industry experience in a company environment, not solely university research.
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Comfort operating as an individual contributor with end-to-end ownership in a small, fast-moving team.
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Exposure to modern multimodal AI approaches such as transformers, diffusion models, world models, LLMs, or AI agents is a bonus.
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Background from a recognized company or strong university is preferred; genuine robotics depth is required over adjacent ML experience alone.
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All experience levels welcome, from new graduates to seasoned researchers.
Compensation & Benefits
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Salary: $100,000 to $300,000 annually (USD), depending on experience.
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Visa sponsorship is not available; candidates must be eligible to work in the US.
Location
On-site in San Francisco, California. This role is not remote.