Machine Learning Research Scientist, Behavior Planning and Prediction

The Robot Age; Mountain View, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Nuro is seeking a machine learning research scientist to advance behavior planning and prediction within its autonomy stack. This role focuses on developing models and experiments that improve how the Driver anticipates and acts around other road users, and it sits in a broader effort to repurpose the autonomy stack for a physical AI platform for partner vehicles.

The successful candidate will move fluidly between model development, experimentation, and evaluation, and will work closely with

Qualifications

• ML research background in autonomy, robotics, planning, or prediction.
• Ability to move between model development, experimentation, and evaluation.
• Comfort with safety-critical physical AI systems.
• Strong collaboration with engineering teams building deployed autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Research ML approaches for behavior planning and prediction.
• Build models and experiments that improve autonomous driving decisions.
• Evaluate performance across real-world and simulated driving situations.
• Collaborate with autonomy engineers on production-facing model behavior.

Skills

Machine Learning Research

Autonomy & Robotics

Planning & Prediction

Collaborative Research

Job description

What the role actually is

Nuro is hiring a machine learning research scientist for behavior planning and prediction. The role sits in autonomy and contributes to systems that decide how the Nuro Driver anticipates and acts around other road users.

This is a research role inside a company repositioning its autonomy stack as a broader physical AI platform for partner vehicles, not only its original delivery robot.

What you would work on

• Research ML approaches for behavior planning and prediction
• Build models and experiments that improve autonomous driving decisions
• Evaluate performance across real-world and simulated driving situations
• Collaborate with autonomy engineers on production-facing model behavior

What they are asking for

• Machine learning research background in autonomy, robotics, planning, or prediction
• Ability to move between model development, experimentation, and evaluation
• Comfort with safety-critical physical AI systems
• Strong collaboration with engineering teams building deployed autonomy

Why this one is worth a look

Planning and prediction are where autonomy becomes social: the system has to infer what people and vehicles might do next. Nuro's platform shift makes this role relevant beyond last-mile delivery alone.