Robot Test Pilot

Sanctuary AI; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge robotics company in Vancouver is seeking a Robot Test Pilot to operate humanoid robots in various scenarios, contributing to critical AI system development. In this role, you'll guide robots, monitor performance, and maintain detailed documentation. Strong attention to detail and familiarity with tools like Jira are necessary. The ideal candidate will thrive in technical environments and have excellent physical coordination. Join us in building advanced robots that push the boundaries of human-like intelligence.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Equity stakes

Health coverage

Worksite flexibility

Paid time off

Qualifications

• Familiarity with immersive environments and structured testing workflows.
• Strong written English skills for clear, concise test reports.
• Comfort working in technical environments and using command-line tools.

Responsibilities

• Operate teleoperation systems to guide robots and monitor performance.
• Coordinate daily with the Machine Learning team for data collection.
• Compile and maintain documentation related to robot operation procedures.

Skills

Excellent physical coordination

Spatial awareness

Attention to detail

Problem-solving ability

Adaptability to new technologies

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Trello

TestRail

Job description

Your New Role and Team

Sanctuary, a world leader in building AI-based control systems for humanoid robots, is looking to hire a skilled and motivated Robot Test Pilot to join our team on a 6-month contract. As a Robot Test Pilot, you will play a vital role in the development of general purpose robots by piloting them in a variety of scenarios to collect critical data. Your work will directly contribute to improving our AI systems and advancing our mission of building human-like intelligence in machines.

Have experience with gaming, VR, or simulations? Many of our top team members started there, if that’s you, we want you to apply!

Our Success Criteria

• Operate teleoperation systems to guide robots through designated tasks, monitor performance, and provide detailed feedback.
• Coordinate daily with the Machine Learning team to plan data collection, manage machine availability, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Assist with freezes, demos, and policy-related work, ensuring smooth handoffs across validation phases.
• Review and execute assigned tasks in Jira, resolve ambiguities, confirm data integrity, and verify successful uploads prior to full runs.
• Identify, document, and elevate issues with clear repro steps, logs, and supporting media.
• Verify fixes, perform regression testing, and ensure stable releases across platforms and builds.
• Apply systems instincts to spot mechanical inconsistencies, behavioral anomalies, UX gaps, and workflow issues.
• Compile and maintain detailed documentation related to robot operation procedures and performance.
• Ensure safe operation of all robotics systems, adhering to protocols for both human and machine safety.

Qualification

• Familiarity with immersive or interactive environments (such as simulation or real-time systems) and familiarity with structured testing workflows.
• Exposure to issue tracking tools (Jira, Confluence, Trello) and test management tools (e.g., TestRail).
• Strong written English skills to create clear, concise, and actionable test reports.
• Comfort working in technical environments, including using command-line tools for troubleshooting and running tests.
• Excellent attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and situational awareness.
• A methodical approach to investigating, reproducing, and validating issues across multiple systems or environments.
• Excellent physical coordination, spatial awareness, and focus.
• Ability to stand for 6+ hours per day and perform sustained physical activity for extended periods.

Skills

• Excellent physical coordination, spatial awareness, and focus.
• Ability to master new physical tasks quickly and perform them optimally.
• Consistent attention to detail with a methodical approach to problem-solving.
• Enthusiasm, patience, and a drive to improve processes and outcomes.
• Adaptability to evolving technologies and quick learning of new systems.
• Fit to use and wear teleoperation and VR equipment comfortably.

Traits

• Positive, mission-driven mindset with a passion for robotics and innovation.
• Persistence in uncovering subtle defects and edge cases.
• Adaptability to evolving technologies and quick uptake of new systems.
• Strong balance between independent problem-solving and collaborative teamwork.
• Curiosity to explore beyond the surface of an issue and understand its underlying causes.

Working at Sanctuary AI

Sanctuary AI is an equal opportunity employer; employment with Sanctuary AI is governed based on skills, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any way by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. In 2023, Sanctuary AI moved into a state-of-the-art office facility and has been recognized by LinkedIn as a Top Startup company.

Compensation and Benefits

Sanctuary offers a market-leading compensation package that includes competitive salaries, equity stakes, and a full suite of benefits for permanent employees, encompassing health coverage, paid time off, cutting-edge work facilities, and worksite flexibility by role. Our commitment to fairness ensures that our total compensation consistently surpasses market standards.

About Sanctuary AI

Founded in 2018, Sanctuary builds humanoid robots and a novel control system for them that integrates symbolic logic and reasoning with data-driven robot foundation models. We use our robots to collect vision, audio, touch, and proprioception data from the perspective of the robot while they perform real-world work tasks. We use that data to train multimodal robot foundation models. Because our systems are vertically integrated, we can design, deploy, and refine at scale. Our mission is to create the world's first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.