Senior Deep Learning Researcher – Physical AI - Qualcomm - Amsterdam

Qualcomm; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies Netherlands B.V. in Amsterdam seeks a Senior Deep Learning Researcher to advance Physical AI and Embodied AI through hands-on work with real robots and humanoid platforms. You will lead investigations bridging perception, language, and action, publishing in leading ML and robotics venues.

The role emphasizes rigorous experiments on real robotic systems and collaboration with diverse researchers to advance practical deployment considerations in Qualcomm AI Research.

Qualifications

• PhD in Machine Learning, Robotics, Computer Vision, or closely related field, or equivalent experience.
• Deep expertise in at least one of the areas listed above.
• Excellent programming skills in Python and modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX).
• Ability to design clean experimental pipelines and maintain research code.
• Strong track record of scientific publications in top-tier ML/robotics venues.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original research in Physical AI and Embodied Intelligence with business and scientific impact.
• Design and evaluate learning-based methods in simulation and on real robots, focusing on humanoid platforms and manipulation.
• Develop models that integrate perception, language, and action under real-world physical constraints.
• Publish research in top-tier conferences and journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CoRL, RSS, ICRA).
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to ensure long-term impact and relevance.
• Contribute to Qualcomm AI Research’s strategy and scientific visibility in Physical AI.

Skills

Deep Learning

Robotics

Computer Vision

Python

PyTorch

JAX

Research

Education

PhD in ML/Robotics/ CS

Master's degree in related field

Tools

PyTorch

ROS

Docker

JAX

Job description

Company

Qualcomm Technologies Netherlands B.V.

Job Area

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Machine Learning Researcher

General Summary

At Qualcomm AI Research, we advance AI to make perception, reasoning, and action ubiquitous across devices. Our mission is to drive fundamental breakthroughs in AI and translate them into real‑world impact at scale.

A key pillar of our research agenda is Physical AI: intelligent systems that learn to perceive, reason, and act through embodied interaction with the physical world. We pursue research that tightly integrates learning, robotics, and real‑world experimentation, with a strong emphasis on scientific rigor, business impact, and thought leadership.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior Deep Learning Researcher in Physical AI / Embodied AI to join our Amsterdam‑based research team. The ideal candidate is a scientifically strong deep learning researcher with extensive experience in embodied AI and real robot experiments, and deep expertise in at least one core area relevant to Physical AI.

You will be joining a well‑established and innovative Physical AI research team that brings together researchers with strong academic backgrounds and extensive experience in embodied AI and robotics. You will have access to a diverse fleet of real robotic platforms, including humanoid robots and high‑degree‑of‑freedom robot arms, enabling rigorous experimental validation beyond simulation. The team regularly conducts hands‑on research in dexterous manipulation, loco‑manipulation, and multimodal sensing, including vision, tactile, and force feedback. In addition, the team collaborates closely with robot OEM partners around the world, providing opportunities to influence real robotic systems and align scientific research with practical deployment considerations.

This role is research‑driven, with the objective to develop impactful breakthroughs in Physical AI. We offer opportunity to publish at top‑tier venues, while maintaining a clear connection to real robotic systems—particularly humanoid robots and dexterous manipulation.

Preferred Candidate Areas

• Reinforcement learning, self‑supervised learning, self‑play for dexterous manipulation
• Dexterous manipulation, including tactile and force‑based control
• Learning from multimodal sensory inputs (vision, proprioception, force, tactile sensing)
• Loco‑manipulation for humanoid robotics
• Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) models for embodied intelligence

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct original research in Physical AI and Embodied Intelligence that creates business and scientific impact.
• Design and evaluate learning‑based methods in simulation and on real robots, with emphasis on humanoid platforms and manipulation.
• Develop models that integrate perception, language, and action under real‑world physical constraints.
• Publish research in top‑tier conferences and journals (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CoRL, RSS, ICRA).
• Collaborate with other researchers and engineers to ensure long‑term impact and relevance.
• Contribute to Qualcomm AI Research’s research strategy and scientific visibility in Physical AI.

Requirements

• PhD in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Robotics, Computer Vision, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Deep expertise in at least one of the above-mentioned areas.
• Excellent programming skills in Python and experience with modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX).
• Ability to design clean experimental pipelines and write maintainable research code.
• Strong track record of scientific publications in top‑tier machine learning and/or robotics venues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience with embodied AI and real robot experiments, beyond purely simulated work.
• Experience bridging simulation and real‑world robotics (sim‑to‑real, system identification, data collection).
• Hands‑on experience with humanoid or high‑DoF manipulation platforms.
• Prior experience in industrial research environments with strong scientific output.

Location

The role is based out of our Amsterdam office, and we are not seeking remote‑based candidates.

Why Join Us

At Qualcomm AI Research, you will be part of a team with a wide range of backgrounds that values innovation and creativity. Our commitment to professional growth and development ensures that all team members can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives to making research and business impact.

You will be part of a global company (headquartered in San Diego) and work closely with exceptional researchers and engineers that publish at major conferences.

Additionally, you will be based in Amsterdam, a scenic, vibrant city known for its picturesque canals, rich history, and dynamic cultural scene, making it a wonderful place to live and work.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 6+ months of academic and/or work experience developing and/or optimizing machine learning models, systems, platforms, or methods.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll‑free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

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