Robotics Autonomy Engineer, Manipulation

FieldAI; Peoria (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

FieldAI is building the future of autonomy and is seeking a Robotics Autonomy Engineer – Manipulation to drive whole-body control for humanoids and arm‑equipped quadrupeds. You will translate real field scenarios into robust behaviors and deploy on hardware with close collaboration across perception, locomotion, and systems teams.

You will develop learning‑based and model‑based manipulation policies, train from demonstrations, adapt vision language action models, and ensure safe operation in

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (PhD strongly preferred)
• Deep expertise in robot manipulation or whole‑body control
• 2+ years of experience developing and deploying manipulation behaviors on real robotic systems (preferred)
• Hands‑on experience with robot arms, hands or grippers, and humanoid or mobile manipulation platforms
• Solid understanding of kinematics, dynamics, contact modeling, and force control
• Experience with manipulation planning and control, such as trajectory optimization or model predictive control (MPC)
• Experience with learning based manipulation, such as imitation learning, reinforcement learning (RL), or vision language action models
• Proficiency with simulation tools such as Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, or Drake
• Experience integrating perception for manipulation
• Strong Python and/or C++ development skills in Linux-based development environments
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow)
• A passion for building things that move in the real world

Responsibilities

• Develop whole-body control and manipulation capabilities for humanoids and quadrupeds with arms, coordinating base, torso, and arm motion as a single system
• Take specific field scenarios from concept to repeatable execution on hardware, interacting with the built environment and handling objects and tools
• Build learning based and model based manipulation policies and integrate them tightly with perception and locomotion
• Train manipulation policies from demonstration data and adapt vision language action (VLA) foundation models to our robots and tasks, then make them work on hardware
• Design grasp, contact, and force interaction strategies that hold up across varied objects, surfaces, and environments, with interaction forces kept safe for people and equipment nearby
• Harden behaviors so they succeed across repeated runs, changing lighting, object variation, and real site conditions
• Build simulation environments and evaluation pipelines for manipulation, and use field data to close the gap between simulation and the real world
• Deploy on physical robots and iterate rapidly through lab testing and field validation
• Work closely with locomotion, perception, and systems engineers to deliver end to end capabilities

Skills

Robot manipulation

Whole-body control

Python

C++

ROS/ROS2

Machine learning

VLA models

MuJoCo

Kinematics

Hardware deployment

Education

Master’s in Robotics or CS

PhD preferred

Tools

Isaac Lab

MuJoCo

Drake

PyTorch

TensorFlow

NVIDIA TensorRT

ONNX Runtime

ROS/ROS2

Job description

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk‑aware, reliable, field‑ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence. If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data‑driven approaches or pure transformer‑only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

About the Job

Field AI is building the future of autonomy—from rugged terrain to real‑world deployment. We’re on a mission to develop intelligent, adaptable robotic systems that operate beyond simulation and thrive in unpredictable environments. As our Robotics Autonomy Engineer – Manipulation, you’ll lead the development and deployment of whole‑body control and manipulation capabilities for humanoids and arm‑equipped quadrupeds, turning real field scenarios into behaviors our robots perform reliably every day. You’ll be part of a deeply technical team advancing real‑world robotic capabilities through cutting‑edge research, simulation tools, and field validation. If building robots that can use their hands in the real world excites you, and you want to work where your code hits the ground (literally)—this is your role. This is Field AI.

What You’ll Get To Do

• Develop whole-body control and manipulation capabilities for humanoids and quadrupeds with arms, coordinating base, torso, and arm motion as a single system
• Take specific field scenarios from concept to repeatable execution on hardware, interacting with the built environment and handling objects and tools
• Build learning based and model based manipulation policies and integrate them tightly with perception and locomotion
• Train manipulation policies from demonstration data and adapt vision language action (VLA) foundation models to our robots and tasks, then make them work on hardware
• Design grasp, contact, and force interaction strategies that hold up across varied objects, surfaces, and environments, with interaction forces kept safe for people and equipment nearby
• Harden behaviors so they succeed across repeated runs, changing lighting, object variation, and real site conditions
• Build simulation environments and evaluation pipelines for manipulation, and use field data to close the gap between simulation and the real world
• Deploy on physical robots and iterate rapidly through lab testing and field validation
• Work closely with locomotion, perception, and systems engineers to deliver end to end capabilities

What You Have

• Master’s degree or higher in Robotics, Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (PhD strongly preferred)
• Deep expertise in robot manipulation or whole‑body control
• 2+ years of experience developing and deploying manipulation behaviors on real robotic systems (preferred)
• Hands‑on experience with robot arms, hands or grippers, and humanoid or mobile manipulation platforms
• Solid understanding of kinematics, dynamics, contact modeling, and force control
• Experience with manipulation planning and control, such as trajectory optimization or model predictive control (MPC)
• Experience with learning based manipulation, such as imitation learning, reinforcement learning (RL), or vision language action models
• Proficiency with simulation tools such as Isaac Lab, MuJoCo, or Drake
• Experience integrating perception for manipulation
• Strong Python and/or C++ development skills in Linux-based development environments
• Familiarity with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow)
• A passion for building things that move in the real world

The Extras That Set You Apart

• 3+ years of experience in an industry or startup robotics setting
• Experience with loco‑manipulation on legged platforms or whole‑body model predictive control for humanoids
• Experience fine tuning or deploying vision language action models on real robots
• Experience building teleoperation and demonstration data collection pipelines at scale
• Experience with cross embodiment or generalist manipulation policies that transfer across robots and tasks
• Experience with dexterous multi fingered hands, or with tactile and force torque sensing in closed loop manipulation
• Experience optimizing and deploying learning based controllers on resource constrained robotic platforms (ONNX Runtime, NVIDIA TensorRT, real time onboard inference)
• Publications or open‑source contributions in manipulation, whole‑body control, or robot learning (e.g., CoRL, RSS, ICRA, IROS)
• Familiarity with ROS/ROS2 or custom middleware for real‑time control
• Experience debugging sim‑to‑real issues at scale

Why Join FieldAI in Irvine?

In Irvine, you will work where the robots are. Our local team builds and tests systems on real hardware with real sensors, then ships them to operate in unstructured, previously unknown environments around the world. We are solving one of robotics’ hardest challenges: reliable deployment outside the lab. Our Field Foundational Models™ raise the bar for perception, planning, localization, and manipulation, with an emphasis on explainability and safety for real‑world use.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

We are looking for builders who want their work to leave the whiteboard and show up on robots. If you enjoy tackling tough, uncharted questions and working across disciplines, you will find your people here. Our teams span AI, software, robotics engineering, product, field deployment, and technical communication, all focused on shipping systems that perform in the real world.

Our headquarters is in Irvine, and we partner closely with teams there as well as colleagues across the US and around the world. Join us in Southern California and help define what dependable, field-ready autonomy looks like.

We value diverse perspectives and are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. We evaluate candidates and employees based on merit, qualifications, and performance, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or any other legally protected status.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Our salary range is generous and we consider each individual’s background and experience when determining final compensation. Base pay may vary based on role scope, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and the Irvine, California market.