Intern PhD Applied Scientist Routing

Symbotic; Wilmington (MA); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 74,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Transportation benefits

Housing benefits

Job summary

Symbotic is seeking an applied scientist intern focused on multi-agent planning to enhance the performance and reliability of our robotics systems. Hybrid position based at our Wilmington, MA headquarters, with opportunities to contribute to real projects and publish results.

The role emphasizes solving complex multi-robot problems, deadlock resolution, and time-space reservations, while benefiting from mentorship and a strong internship program.

Qualifications

• Pursuing PhD in a relevant technical field.
• Proficiency in one or more general-purpose programming languages (C++, Python, Java, or C#).
• Strong research background in combinatorial optimization, robotics planning, multi-robot systems, or machine learning.
• Publications at high-impact conferences/journals (e.g., CoRL, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML, RSS, ICRA, IROS, AAAI, ICAPS, IJCAI).

Responsibilities

• Identify high-impact scenarios where AI planning and ML can optimize Symbotic robotics software.
• Adapt state-of-the-art approaches or develop high-performance algorithms for multi-robot problems.
• Conduct simulations and experiments to validate multi-robot algorithms.
• Present results in verbal and written communications internally and in top-tier academic venues.

Skills

C++

Python

Java

C#

Multi-robot systems

Robotics planning

Machine learning

Publications

Education

Pursuing PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field

Job description

Timeframe: Summer (May-Aug 2027)

At Symbotic , Early Career talent plays a meaningful role in helping us reimagine the future of supply chain automation. Through our Internship and Co‑op programs, students have the opportunity to contribute to real projects, collaborate with experienced engineers and business leaders, and gain hands‑on exposure to the technologies powering our end‑to‑end robotics and automation solutions. We are looking for curious, motivated students who are excited to solve complex problems, bring new perspectives to cross‑functional teams, and see their work make an impact in a fast‑moving, innovative environment .

Along the way, Interns and Co‑ops are supported through mentorship, professional development, networking opportunities, and a robust calendar of events designed to help them build community and grow their careers. Symbotic offers transportation and housing benefits for students who meet our relocation requirements.

Continue reading below to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

What we need

Symbotic is looking for an applied scientist intern with a passion for multi‑agent planning to improve the performance and reliability of our systems as we rapidly scale our product and organization. The Robot Routing team plans highly efficient, collision‑free paths between the storage structure and the inbound/outbound cells of our system for dozens of robots traversing the transfer deck. The right candidate is excited about concepts like deadlock resolution and time‑space reservations. This is a hybrid position based at our headquarters in Wilmington, MA .

What you'll do

• Identify high‑impact scenarios where AI Planning and machine learning can be applied to optimize the Symbotic robotics software.
• Adapt state‑of‑the‑art approaches or develop high‑performance algorithms to solve real‑world multi‑robot problems.
• Conduct simulations and experiments to validate the performance of the multi‑robot algorithms.
• Present results in verbal and written communications internally, and in top‑tier academic venues.

What you'll need

• Pursuing PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field .
• Proficiency in one or more general‑purpose programming languages: C++, Python, Java, or C#.
• Strong research background in combinatorial optimization, Robotics planning, multi‑robot systems, or machine learning.
• Publications at high‑impact conferences/journals (e.g., CoRL , ICLR, NeurIPS , ICML, ICLR, RSS, ICRA, IROS, RAL, AAAI, ICAPS, IJCAI, JAIR, etc.) on some of the aforementioned topics .

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The base range for this position in the posted location is $52.00 - $54.00 however, base pay offered may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. The compensation package includes medical, dental, vision, disability, 401K, PTO and/or other benefits.