AI Research Engineer

The Robot Age; Santa Clara, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Collaborative Robotics in Santa Clara is seeking an AI research engineer to advance robotics that learn in human environments. This role blends rigorous research with real-world deployment constraints to shape embodied AI products.

You will develop AI methods for collaborative robot behavior, build prototypes that endure hardware interaction, and collaborate across robotics, software, and product teams to improve the intelligence stack for shared-space robots.

Qualifications

• Experience in AI, robotics, ML, or research engineering.
• Ability to implement research ideas in production-minded systems.
• Comfort with experiments involving real robot behavior and constraints.
• Clear communication across research and engineering disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate AI methods for collaborative robot behavior.
• Build research prototypes that can survive contact with hardware and operations.
• Work across robotics, software, and product teams on embodied AI problems.
• Improve the intelligence stack behind robots meant for shared spaces.

Skills

AI/ML experience

Robotics experience

Research engineering

Production-minded systems

Job description

What the role actually is

Collaborative Robotics is hiring an AI research engineer for its Santa Clara robotics team. The company is building robots intended to work in human environments, so research has to connect model behavior with real deployment constraints.

This is a technical research role, but it is relevant because the company's product thesis is explicitly collaborative, human-adjacent robotics.

What you would work on

• Develop and evaluate AI methods for collaborative robot behavior
• Build research prototypes that can survive contact with hardware and operations
• Work across robotics, software, and product teams on embodied AI problems
• Improve the intelligence stack behind robots meant for shared spaces

What they are asking for

• AI, robotics, machine learning, or research engineering experience
• Ability to implement research ideas in production-minded systems
• Comfort with experiments that involve real robot behavior and constraints
• Clear communication across research and engineering disciplines

Why this one is worth a look

Collaborative Robotics is one of the more interesting U.S. companies working on general-purpose robots for human spaces. A research engineering seat there should offer a close view of how embodied AI becomes a product.