Lead Research Scientist – Manipulation & Autonomy
Job Description
We are seeking a Lead Research Scientist to drive the development of next-generation manipulation and autonomy systems for humanoid robots operating in complex, real-world environments. This role is designed for an exceptional technical leader with a strong research background and a passion for translating cutting-edge ideas into working robotic systems.
You will play a central role in defining the technical direction of our manipulation and autonomy stack, from problem formulation and algorithm design to system integration and real-world deployment. While this role is hands-on and deeply technical, it is also expected to evolve toward technical leadership and team building over time.
For the right candidate, we are open to Staff, Principal, or VP-level titles, with scope matched to experience and impact.
Key Responsibilities
Lead research and development of manipulation and autonomy systems for humanoid robots, including planning, control, learning, and closed-loop execution.
Design and implement algorithms, especially focused around whole-body autonomy and interaction with dynamic environments
Work closely with perception, motor control, hardware, and systems teams to build tightly integrated autonomy pipelines.
Define evaluation methodologies, benchmarks, and simulation-to-real workflows for manipulation and autonomy.
Stay deeply engaged with the research community, selectively incorporating state-of-the-art techniques into deployed systems.
Over time, mentor and guide other researchers and engineers, help set technical direction, and contribute to team growth and research culture.
Required Skills & Qualifications
Education: Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, AI, or a closely related field or equivalent research experience in industry.
Experience: Strong track record of impactful research in manipulation, autonomy, control, or learning for robotics, demonstrated through publications, open-source contributions, or shipped systems.
Technical Expertise:
Deep understanding of robot manipulation, motion planning, and autonomy.
Experience with learning-based approaches (e.g. reinforcement learning, imitation learning, hybrid classical/learning systems).
Strong systems intuition and ability to reason across algorithms, software, and hardware.
Experience working with simulation and real robotic platforms.
Nice-to-have Skills
Experience with humanoid robots or high-DoF manipulation systems.
Prior experience leading research directions, mentoring junior researchers, or acting as a technical lead.
Familiarity with deployment constraints such as real-time control, compute limits, and hardware reliability.
Familiarity with performance optimization in cpp.
Experience bridging academic research and production robotics.
What We Offer
The opportunity to work on groundbreaking robotics technology, enabling the next generation of humanoid robots to interact dynamically with their environments.
A collaborative and innovative environment that fosters creativity and exploration.
Compensation range
200-250k, plus equity