Principal Robotics Machine Learning Engineer

Apptronik; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik in Austin, TX seeks a Principal Manipulation Engineer to lead end-to-end learned manipulation on our humanoid platform, from data engine design to on-robot deployment. You will diagnose bottlenecks across vision, perception, and control, and drive robust, production-quality software with a startup pace.

This role requires deep fluency in classical computer vision and modern deep learning, hands-on experience shipping ML models on robotic hardware, and a track record of delivering

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years of relevant experience focused on robotic manipulation or complex motion control.
• Proven track record of taking complex algorithms from conception to deployment on physical hardware.

Responsibilities

• Implement and deploy state-of-the-art ML models/algorithms for object manipulation on robotic systems.
• Drive the data engine for manipulation learning: data collection, curation, annotation, and synthetic/real data mix.
• Lead end-to-end development from prototyping in simulation to robust transfer and fine-tuning on robot.
• Identify bottlenecks—distinguishing traditional vision issues from model/data issues—to prioritize fixes.
• Mentor engineers, uphold technical rigor, and push for architectural excellence across teams.

Skills

Deployment Experience

AI Model Development

Python/C++/PyTorch

AI Data Pipeline

Computer Vision

Hardware Bring-up

Education

Robotics / CS / EE degree

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.
We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

JOB SUMMARY

The Principal Manipulation Engineer is a core contributor to our robot’s ability to interact with the world with human-like world model context, dynamic perception, and interactive behavior. This role is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of learned manipulation, from data engine design through training to on-robot deployment and is expected to diagnose performance bottlenecks. This requires deep fluency in both classical computer vision and modern deep learning to unlock the full potential of state-of-the-art humanoid robot hardware.

This role will bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and scalable, reliable production software. We move at startup pace; intense and focused, but sustainable. We operate with high ownership, fast feedback, and low bureaucracy.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Implement and deploy state-of-the-art ML models/algorithms to achieve ambitious, world-class performance on open world object manipulation tasks with physical hardware.
• Drive the data engine for manipulation learning: data collection strategy, curation, annotation, and synthetic/real data mix, in close partnership with data infrastructure teams.
• Drive the entire development cycle, from prototyping in simulation to robustly transferring and fine-tuning models on the robot.
• Identify and prioritize performance bottlenecks, distinguishing between root causes traceable to classical vision (calibration, geometry, sensor fusion) vs those rooted in sub-optimal model/data, to prioritize fixes according to customer-expected levels of reliability.
• Act as a force multiplier across the organization. Beyond code reviews, foster a culture of technical rigor, setting the bar for architectural excellence and mentoring the next generation of robotics leaders.

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

Technical Skills (Must-Have)

• Deployment Experience: 5+ years shipping machine learning models on robotic systems in production environments.
• AI Model Development Proficiency: Expertise in models including CNNs, transformers, and VLAs.
• Software Engineering: Proficiency in Python, C++, and PyTorch, with experience building real-time robotic software stacks.
• AI Data Pipeline Experience: Experience with data collection, annotation, and synthetic data generation for ML.
• Computer Vision: Familiarity with 6D pose estimation, camera calibration/extrinsics, point cloud processing and visual-servoing.
• Hardware Bring-up: Experience with the initial calibration and tuning of high-DOF robotic manipulators.

Good to Have

• ML Ops: Familiarity with distributed training and MLOps principles.
• Teleoperation: Experience with VR/haptic interfaces and retargeting algorithms for human-in-the-loop control.
• Simulation Environments: Experience with physics engines such as IsaacSim, MuJoCo, or Drake for policy training and validation.
• Logistics Automation Background: Experience using manipulators to automate dynamic real-world material handling tasks.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• BS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of relevant experience (or 5+ years with a PhD) specifically focused on robotic manipulation or complex motion control.
• A proven track record of taking complex algorithms from conception to successfully deploying them on physical hardware.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times
Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
Hearing and speech to communicate

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.