Human-Robot Interaction Applied Scientist , Fauna

Amazon; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Amazon in New York is looking for a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Applied Scientist to innovate engaging interactions between humans and robots. You will lead the development of intelligent conversational systems and personalization features, focusing on social dynamics and long-term user relationships.

Your work will involve integrating advanced AI techniques, mentoring junior colleagues, and ensuring the practical implementation of research in real-world settings.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing interactive systems using advanced AI techniques.
• Knowledge of human-robot interaction principles and social dynamics.
• Ability to lead projects from conception to deployment.

Responsibilities

• Develop interactive systems for engaging robot behavior.
• Design intelligent conversational systems for turn-taking and context.
• Integrate sensor data for understanding social context.

Skills

Large language models

Reinforcement learning

NLP

Multimodal AI

Social dynamics

Job description

Description

We are seeking a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Applied Scientist to develop cutting‑edge interactions that make robots feel alive, personal, and fun. In this role, you will focus on verbal and non‑verbal conversational systems, social dynamics, memory, and long‑term relationship formation between robots, their environments, and the people they interact with. Your contributions will be essential in advancing robotics by enabling expressive, socially intelligent, and trustworthy interactions between robots and humans.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Develop interactive systems that leverage large language models, multimodal inputs and outputs, reinforcement learning from human feedback, or other advanced techniques to achieve fluid, engaging, and socially appropriate robot behavior
• Design and implement intelligent conversational systems that handle turn-taking, grounding, interruption, and incorporate context drawn from a robot's physical environment and shared history with a user
• Integrate perceptual sensor streams including gaze, facial expression, gesture, posture, and more to understand social context and produce coherent, lifelike interactions.
• Develop memory and personalization systems that allow robots to form lasting relationships with individual users, learn their environments, and adapt their behavior over weeks and months
• Stay updated on advancements in HRI, NLP, multimodal AI, and cognitive and social science to apply cutting‑edge techniques to robot interaction challenges
• Lead technical projects from conception through production deployment
• Mentor junior scientists and engineers
• Bridge research initiatives with practical engineering implementation