Research Scientist, Mobile Manipulation Robotics (I/O)

Amazon Science; North Reading (MA); On-site; USD 159,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

RSUs

Job summary

Amazon Robotics in North Reading, MA is seeking a Research Scientist to advance mobile manipulation with learning-based approaches and produce results that translate to production systems at scale.

You will lead experiments in simulation and real-world settings, publish findings at top venues, and collaborate with scientists and engineers to deploy robust robotics solutions across teams.

Qualifications

• 3+ years examining feasibility of applying scientific principles to business problems.
• PhD or MS with 5+ years of quantitative field research experience.
• 2+ years designing experiments and performing statistical analysis.
• Experience communicating complex ideas to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).

Responsibilities

• Research and Algorithm Development: formulate novel learning and manipulation problems; design models; validate hypotheses.
• Data Strategy and Pipeline Design: define data needs, build scalable collection and governance pipelines.
• Experimentation and Scientific Validation: run simulation and real-world experiments; develop benchmarks and analyses.
• Prototyping and Research Infrastructure: develop clean research codebases and testing tools; support training infrastructure.
• Scientific Leadership and Publication: drive independent research; publish in RSS, CoRL, ICRA, NeurIPS.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: partner with scientists and engineers to deploy solutions; mentor researchers.

Skills

Python

Deep learning

Experiment design

Communication

Research experience

Education

PhD or MS with 5+ years research

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Description

Amazon Robotics is transforming warehouse automation through edge AI and machine learning applied to real-world robotics challenges. We're seeking a Research Scientist to advance our mobile manipulation capabilities by developing novel learning-based approaches that enable robots to navigate and manipulate objects in dynamic fulfillment environments. This role offers the opportunity to conduct original research and translate state-of-the-art findings into production systems operating at Amazon's unprecedented scale.

Key job responsibilities

• Research and Algorithm Development: Formulate novel research problems in robot learning and manipulation, design new model architectures, validate hypotheses through rigorous experimentation, and advance the state of the art in learning-based robotics.
• Data Strategy and Pipeline Design: Define data requirements for research initiatives, design scalable collection and curation strategies, establish governance and provenance standards, and build reusable pipelines ensuring data quality and reproducibility.
• Experimentation and Scientific Validation: Design and execute experiments in simulation and real-world embodiments, develop evaluation methodologies and benchmarks, perform ablation studies and statistical analyses, and iterate systematically to advance model performance.
• Prototyping and Research Infrastructure: Develop clean, well-documented research codebases, build experimentation frameworks and evaluation tooling, contribute to shared training infrastructure, and implement interfaces for broader robotics integration.
• Scientific Leadership and Publication: Drive an independent research agenda aligned with team objectives, publish at top-tier venues (e.g., RSS, CoRL, ICRA, NeurIPS), identify research gaps through literature reviews, and present findings via technical reports and talks.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with scientists, engineers, and leaders across teams to translate research into deployable solutions, mentor junior researchers, contribute to the team's scientific culture, and support integration with robotics hardware teams.

A day in the life

If you are not sure that every qualification on the list above describes you exactly, we'd still love to hear from you! At Amazon, we value people with unique backgrounds, experiences, and skillsets. If you’re passionate about this role and want to make an impact on a global scale,

About The Team

Are you inspired by invention? Is problem solving through teamwork in your DNA? Do you like the idea of seeing how your work impacts the bigger picture? Answer yes to any of these and you’ll fit right in here at Amazon Robotics. We are a smart, collaborative team of enthusiastic doers that work passionately to apply innovative advances in robotics and software to solve real-world challenges that will transform our customers’ experiences in ways we can’t even image yet. We invent new improvements every day. We are Amazon Robotics and we will give you the tools and support you need to invent with us in ways that are rewarding, fulfilling and fun!

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of investigating the feasibility of applying scientific principles and concepts to business problems and products experience
• PhD, or Master's degree and 5+ years of quantitative field research experience
• 2+ years of designing experiments and statistical analysis of results experience
• Experience communicating complex ideas to technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience converting research studies into tangible real-world changes
• Experience with discrete and continuous optimization methodologies and algorithms

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location.

• Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave.

USA, MA, North Reading - 159,200.00 - 215,300.00 USD annually