About the Role
Join a Y Combinator–backed Physical AI startup at the frontier of robotics research and development. This team is building AI-driven systems that enable robots to learn, reason, and operate in the physical world — spanning learning algorithms, simulation, and hardware. You'll work on problems that directly shape how robots perceive, plan, and act, pushing capabilities from simulation into real-world deployment.
This is a hands-on, cross-functional role suited to people who are equally comfortable writing research code, running hardware experiments, and shipping infrastructure. New graduates and experienced researchers/engineers are both welcome to apply.
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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Design pipelines connecting simulation and real-world robot deployment (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 and experiment with robot platforms to validate algorithms in the physical world.
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Create tools and infrastructure that accelerate robotics research and development velocity.
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Collaborate with external robotics companies and research labs on technical challenges.
What We're Looking For
Required:
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Experience developing and maintaining robotics simulation environments and evaluation frameworks (e.g., Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, MJX, Genesis).
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Hands-on experience training and evaluating reinforcement-learning and/or imitation-learning systems for manipulation, locomotion, or mobile platforms.
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Practical experience with robot hardware, sensors, actuators, and embedded systems for prototyping and testing.
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Strong software skills in C++ and Python.
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Deep learning and computer vision experience in a robotics or physical AI context.
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US work authorization required (visa sponsorship is not available).
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Ability to work on-site in San Francisco, CA (this role is not remote).
Nice to Have:
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Experience with modern ML tools and models — LLMs, Transformers, multimodal AI, diffusion models, AI agents.
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Familiarity with CAD or Blender for asset creation and sim environment design.
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Comfort moving fluidly between research, engineering, experimentation, and product development in a small team.
Compensation & Benefits
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Salary: $100,000 – $300,000 USD annually, depending on experience and seniority.
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Equity participation in an early-stage, venture-backed startup.
Location
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On-site in San Francisco, CA — this role requires in-person presence and is not eligible for remote work.
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US work authorization is required; visa sponsorship is not available.
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