1.51 Robotics Autonomy Engineer - Locomotion

FieldAI; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Inclusive work environment

Opportunities for professional growth

Job summary

A robotics technology company in Irvine is seeking a Robotics Autonomy Engineer specializing in RL-based locomotion. The role involves developing and deploying advanced locomotion systems for legged and humanoid robots, focusing on real-world deployment. Candidates should possess a Master's degree in Robotics or related fields, along with experience in reinforcement learning and simulation tools. Join a dynamic team tackling the challenges of robotics in complex environments and help shape the future of autonomy.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience developing locomotion policies on real robotic systems.
• Hands-on experience with legged robot platforms.
• Solid understanding of contact dynamics and control theory.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement scalable reinforcement learning pipelines.
• Create robust locomotion behaviors for physical robots.
• Collaborate across the full robotics stack.

Skills

Reinforcement learning

Python development

C++ development

Linux-based environments

Simulation tools

Education

Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering

Tools

Isaac Gym

Isaac Lab

MuJoCo

PyBullet

Job description

Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. We are building risk‑aware, reliable, and field‑ready AI systems that address the most complex challenges in robotics, unlocking the full potential of embodied intelligence. We go beyond typical data‑driven approaches or pure transformer‑based architectures, and are charting a new course, with already‑globally‑deployed solutions delivering real‑world results and rapidly improving models through real‑field applications.

About the Job:

Field AI is building the future of autonomy—from rugged terrain to real‑world deployment. We’re on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments. As our Robotics Autonomy Engineer – Locomotion, you’ll lead the development and deployment of state‑of‑the‑art reinforcement learning‑based controllers for legged and humanoid robots. You’ll be part of a deeply technical team advancing real‑world robotic capabilities through cutting‑edge research, simulation tools, and field validation. If designing locomotion systems that can navigate complex, dynamic environments excites you, and you want to work where your code hits the ground (literally)—this is your role. This is Field AI.

What You’ll Get To Do

1. Design and Own RL‑Based Locomotion Pipelines

• Architect and implement scalable reinforcement learning (RL) pipelines optimized for locomotion and manipulation.
• Integrate physics‑based simulation environments (Isaac Gym, Isaac Lab, MuJoCo) with custom training workflows.
• Develop reward functions, policy architectures, and domain randomization strategies that close the sim‑to‑real gap.

2. Deploy Locomotion Behaviors on Physical Robots

• Create agile, robust locomotion behaviors for quadruped and humanoid platforms, and validate them on real hardware.
• Solve real‑world challenges in balance, contact‑rich dynamics, high‑DOF coordination, and terrain variability.
• Drive iterative testing across terrain variability and unstructured environments.

3. Build and Scale Simulation Infrastructure

• Build scalable training environments using GPU‑accelerated simulators.
• Automate evaluation across domain‑randomized scenarios and domain adaptation protocols.
• Maintain simulation infrastructure that enables rapid prototyping, validation, and reproducibility.

4. Collaborate Across the Full Robotics Stack

• Work closely with systems engineers, perception experts, and embedded teams to close the loop between learning and execution.
• Incorporate real‑world telemetry and field data to continuously improve model generalization.
• Lead deployment workflows from experiment through lab testing to field robot validation.

What You Have

• Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (PhD strongly preferred).
• Deep expertise in reinforcement learning for continuous control.
• 2+ years of experience developing and deploying locomotion policies on real robotic systems.
• Hands‑on experience with legged robot platforms (quadrupeds, bipedal systems, or exoskeletons).
• Proficiency with simulation tools such as Isaac Gym, Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, or PyBullet.
• Strong command of sim‑to‑real transfer — domain randomization, system identification, adaptive methods, and a track record of bridging the gap successfully.
• Solid understanding of contact dynamics, control theory, and kinematics.
• Strong Python and/or C++ development skills in Linux‑based development environments.
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
• A passion for building things that move in the real world.

The Extras That Set You Apart

• 3+ years of experience in an industry or startup robotics setting.
• Experience deploying neural network controllers on resource‑constrained robotic platforms (real‑time inference, onboard compute).
• Publications or open‑source contributions in locomotion, RL, or control.
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS2 or custom middleware for real‑time control.
• Background in manipulation, loco‑manipulation, or whole‑body coordination.
• Experience debugging sim‑to‑real issues at scale.
• Contributions to reinforcement learning libraries or simulation platforms.
• Prior work on multi‑agent learning or terrain‑adaptive control systems.

$70,000 - $300,000 a year

Why Join Field AI?

We are solving one of the world’s most complex challenges: deploying robots in unstructured, previously unknown environments. Our Field Foundational Models™ set a new standard in perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, ensuring our approach is explainable and safe for deployment.

With a decade‑long track record of deploying solutions in the field, winning DARPA challenge segments, and bringing expertise from organizations like DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise Self‑Driving, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX, we are set to achieve our ambitious goals.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

To tackle such ambitious challenges, we need a team as unique as our vision — innovators who go beyond conventional methods and are eager to tackle tough, uncharted questions. We’re seeking individuals who challenge the status quo, dive into uncharted territory, and bring interdisciplinary expertise. Our team requires not only top AI talent but also exceptional software developers, engineers, product designers, field deployment experts, and communicators.

We are headquartered in always‑sunny Mission Viejo (Irvine adjacent), Southern California and have US based and global teammates.

Join us, shape the future, and be part of a fun, close‑knit team on an exciting journey!

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are always evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We will never discriminate on the basis of race, color, 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.