Robotics AI Research Engineer

Maven Robotics, Inc.; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equal Opportunity Employer

Job summary

Maven Robotics, Inc. is hiring AI researchers and engineers to architect the neural backbone of general-purpose robots.

You will design Vision-Language-Action frameworks and World Models to enable robots to reason, adapt, and succeed where traditional automation fails. We’re seeking experts across levels who can demonstrate world-class excellence in at least one core area while collaborating on data systems and deployment to edge devices.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in CS, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related field (or equivalent industry experience).
• Deep technical mastery in transformers, multi-modal alignment, and perception-to-control mapping.
• Specialized excellence in VLA models, Real-world RL, or data infrastructure.
• Expert-level Python and familiarity with PyTorch or JAX.

Responsibilities

• Architect Embodied Foundations: design model architectures for high task success with minimal demonstrations.
• Master Data Efficiency: create co-training strategies and efficient learning from diverse data sources.
• Generalize Cross Embodiments: enable zero/few-shot adaptation to new robot configurations.
• Innovate Real-World RL: develop RL and policy extraction for physical manipulation.
• Design the Data Loop: collaborate on data collection for bootstrapping models.

Skills

MS/PhD in CS/Robotics/ML

Transformers

Multi-modal alignment

Python

Education

MS/PhD in CS/Robotics/ML

Tools

PyTorch

JAX

Jetson/Orin

Job description

Maven Robotics designs, builds, and deploys intelligent robotics for logistics and manufacturing. Maven is building the first general-purpose robotics system for industrial work. Our mission is to activate autonomous labor at scale and build toward infinitely elastic industrial capacity. We’re a team of engineers, researchers, and operators who have spent our careers working on the hardest problems in AI, robotics, engineering, and autonomous systems. We work at the intersection of advanced research and real-world engineering, turning ideas into prototypes and deployed systems.

At Maven, we build around the realities of industrial work. The robots are designed from first principles for complex physical environments and rigorous commercial standards. They master real tasks that deliver immediate impact, industrial-grade reliability, and intelligence that compounds at scale. We’re growing an ambitious team of people who think in systems, move quickly, and are builders at heart.

About the Role

We are seeking exceptional AI researchers and engineers to architect the neural backbone of our general-purpose robots. You will design the Vision-Language-Action (VLA) frameworks or Action World Models that allow our robots to reason, adapt, and succeed where traditional automation fails.

We are hiring across all levels (from early-career to staff/principal). You are not expected to be a master of every domain listed below; however, you must be able to justify world-class excellence in at least one core factor (e.g., model architecture, RL formulations, or high-scale data systems).

What You’ll Do

• Architect Embodied Foundations: Design model architectures (VLA, World Models, etc.) that achieve ultra-high task success rates with minimal human demonstrations
• Master Data Efficiency: Develop novel co-training strategies and efficient learning algorithms that leverage diverse data sources—from Internet-scale video to sparse, high-fidelity human interventions
• Generalize Cross Embodiments: Build models capable of zero-shot or few-shot adaptation to new robot configurations, maintaining a high success rate even when proprietary hardware and actuation systems evolve
• Innovate Real-World RL: Formulate and deploy novel Reinforcement Learning and policy extraction methods specifically designed for physical, real-world manipulation
• Design the Data Loop: Collaborate on advanced data collection systems to capture critical human intervention data for model bootstrapping

What We’re Looking For

• MS or PhD in CS, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related field (or equivalent industry experience)
• Deep Technical Mastery: Advanced understanding of transformers, multi-modal alignment, and mapping perception to high-frequency motor control
• Specialized Excellence: Proven ability to innovate—not just implement—within one or more areas: VLA models, Real-world RL, or large-scale Data Infrastructure
• Software Excellence: Expert-level Python and deep familiarity with PyTorch or JAX

Nice to Have

• A track record of high-impact publications (NeurIPS, ICRA, RSS, CVPR) or significant open-source contributions
• Experience with large-scale distributed training and model compression
• Experience with deployment of models to edge devices (NVIDIA Jetson/Orin) for real-time inference
• General knowledge of robotics principles (kinematics, dynamics)

Maven Robotics is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Maven Robotics’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A \"disabled veteran\" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A \"recently separated veteran\" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

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An \"Armed forces service medal veteran\" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.