Research Engineer - Robotic Hardware, Simulation and Data

applied; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 126,000 - 423,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

401k retirement benefits with employer match

Learning and wellness stipends

Paid time off

Job summary

Applied Intuition is seeking a Research Engineer to join their innovative team in Sunnyvale, California. This role focuses on developing cutting-edge technologies to advance autonomous driving and robotics applications. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in robotics, with hands-on experience in hardware design and simulation.

Salary ranges from $126,000 to $423,000 annually, based on qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with humanoid robotics or human data collection hardware.
• Familiarity with large-scale robotic simulation and its uses in RL training.
• Strong background in human data processing and algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Design and set up robotic and data collection hardware.
• Construct robotic simulation environments for reinforcement learning training.
• Collaborate with engineering teams on deploying algorithms for production.

Skills

Humanoid robotics

Large-scale robotic simulation

Human data processing

Python

Pytorch

Computer vision

Distributed machine learning

Education

MSc or PhD in machine learning, computer vision, or related field

Job description

About the role and team

We are looking for a passionate Research Engineer to join the Research Group at Applied Intuition. The mission of the group is to create cutting‑edge technology enabling next‑generation physical AI, with emphasis on the two most challenging applications reshaping our everyday life: end‑to‑end autonomous driving and robotic generalist. We have a group composed of leading experts from top institutions and companies, recognized for their exceptional academic and industry contributions—including eight Best Paper awards at premier conferences and journals such as CVPR and ICRA. Learn more at appliedintuition.com/research.

Supported by industry‑leading tools and infrastructure, researchers can access millions of miles of data from large fleets, and deploy methods they develop into various autonomous and robotic systems including self‑driving cars/trucks, autonomous mining/construction machines, humanoid robots and dexterous hands. In addition to your research contributions, you will contribute to and learn from best practices in the autonomy and robotics industries within our fast‑paced and customer‑focused culture. Improvements deployed to our system immediately help our customers with their programs and deliver value to our business.

We are open to all years of experience as long as the necessary requirements are met, including those with potential Tech Lead and Manager capacity.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

• Support the team for robotic and data collection hardware set up, and design the mechatronic system for customized demands
• Construct robotic simulation environments at scale and use it for RL training
• Process human data for robotic use cases
• Work closely with Research Scientists and interns on high‑quality research publications to submit to top‑tier conferences
• Collaborate with our engineering teams on ADAS, data, and simulation to deploy end‑to‑end algorithms for mass production vehicles, and neural simulation/generation for tools supporting autonomy development

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Hands‑on experience in at least one of the following fields
  • Humanoid, general robotics and human data collection hardware experiences (both utilization and design)
  • Large‑scale robotic simulation construction, deformable object simulation, and its utilization in RL training
  • Human data processing, retargeting, pose estimation, SLAM
• Passion for next‑generation, scalable autonomy and robotics for real‑world systems
• Strong engineering and research skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively on projects
• Technical experience in: Python, Pytorch, computer vision, robotics systems, and distributed machine learning model training

Nice to have:

• Industry experience on relevant topics (self‑driving application preferred)
• MSc or PhD in machine learning and computer vision with autonomy and robotics applications or closely related field
• Passion for building and shipping customer‑focused software frameworks or tool

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full‑time position in the location listed is: $126,000 - $423,000 USD annually.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.