Robotics Foundation Models Scientist - Dexterous Manipulation

Honda Research Institute USA; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Honda Research Institute USA is recruiting a Research Scientist in Robotics Foundation Models to advance multimodal AI for dexterous robotic manipulation. The role integrates VLMs/VLAs with learning‑based methods, across simulation and real hardware environments.

You will collaborate with global R&D teams, publish results, and contribute to a portfolio of patents and prototypes, with a start date in mid‑2026. The position is based in San Jose, CA, on‑site.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
• Hands‑on experience applying VLMs, VLAs, or multimodal foundation models in robotics or embodied settings.
• Experience with model training, fine‑tuning, or architectural development of multimodal/foundation models.
• Familiarity with transformer‑based and multimodal models.
• Strong programming skills in Python or C++ and familiarity with ROS.
• Self‑motivated to advance the project and deliver on time.
• Strong track record of publications in robotics and machine learning venues.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• 1+ years of relevant work experience.

Responsibilities

• Research, design, adapt and apply multimodal foundation models for robotic systems to develop robust manipulation behaviors and task failure reasoning.
• Train, fine‑tune, and design vision‑language and multimodal foundation models for robotic dexterous manipulation.
• Research and develop machine learning algorithms such as reinforcement learning and imitation learning for dexterous manipulation.
• Implement and validate algorithms in simulation and on robot hardware.
• Analyze system performance and improve robustness and generalization.
• Deliver results in accordance with project timelines.
• Prepare written and oral technical reports and demonstrations.
• Contribute to portfolio of patents, academic publications, and prototypes to demonstrate research value.
• Collaborate with our teams of scientists and engineers in Honda’s regional and global R&D offices, as well as with our partners in academia and industry.

Skills

Python

C++

Reinforcement learning

Multimodal models

Transformer-based models

ROS

Education

Ph.D. in robotics / related field

Tools

ROS

Job description

Honda Research Institute USA is recruiting a Research Scientist in Robotics Foundation Models to advance multimodal AI for dexterous robotic manipulation. The role integrates VLMs/VLAs with learning‑based methods, across simulation and real hardware environments.

You will collaborate with global R&D teams, publish results, and contribute to a portfolio of patents and prototypes, with a start date in mid‑2026. The position is based in San Jose, CA, on‑site.