Robotics Research Internship, Humanoid Manipulation (Spring 2027) | PhD Internship

Lever, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 83,000; Part time

Job summary

FieldAI invites PhD students to join our Fall 2026 internship focused on humanoid manipulation. As a research intern, you will bridge robotics research and applied engineering, contributing to manipulation capabilities that support autonomy and robot learning while pursuing publication at a top conference or journal.

Based in Boston with collaborations across the US, you will design, implement, and evaluate manipulation strategies, tackle loco-manipulation problems, and assist in data pipelines

Qualifications

• Current PhD student in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, AI/ML, or a closely related field.
• Research experience in robotic manipulation, loco-manipulation, or related robotics domains.
• Strong foundation in robot kinematics, dynamics, and control.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C++, with experience using robotics or ML tooling.
• Experience designing experiments and evaluating results on robotic systems (simulation or hardware).
• Publications in leading robotics journals/conferences (ICRA, IROS, CORL, RA-L, T-RO, etc.)

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and evaluate manipulation strategies for humanoid robots across tasks.
• Explore loco-manipulation problems that integrate perception, planning, and control.
• Work towards publishing a paper in a leading robotics conference/journal
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to align experiments with autonomy goals.
• Support data collection pipelines used to train robotics foundation models.

Skills

PhD candidate in robotics/CS/ME/EE/AI

Robotic manipulation research

Loco-manipulation research

Robot kinematics and dynamics

Python / C++

Experiment design & evaluation on robt

Publications in robotics venues

Curiosity and initiative

Education

PhD candidate in relevant field

Tools

ROS / ROS 2

Python

C++

Job description

FieldAI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. Our growing R&D team is based in Boston, where we develop risk‑aware, reliable, field‑ready AI systems that tackle the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the potential of embodied intelligence. We take a pragmatic approach that goes beyond off‑the‑shelf, purely data‑driven methods or transformer‑only architectures, combining cutting‑edge research with real‑world deployment. Our solutions are already deployed globally, and we continuously improve model performance through rapid iteration driven by real field use.

We are offering a Fall 2026 internship focused on humanoid manipulation for PhD students interested in advancing embodied intelligence on humanoids. As a research intern, you will work at the intersection of robotics research and applied engineering, contributing to manipulation capabilities that directly support FieldAI’s autonomy and robot learning efforts while advancing the field of robotics through academic research with the goal of publishing a paper to a leading journal or conference.

What You Will Get To Do

Advance Humanoid Manipulation Research

• Design, implement, and evaluate manipulation strategies for humanoid robots across diverse tasks.
• Explore loco‑manipulation problems that integrate perception, planning, and control.
• Work towards super‑human dexterity, developing systems that outperform human teleoperation.

Contribute to the Research Community

• Work towards publishing a paper in a leading robotics conference/journal
• Work closely with other researchers, both internal and external.
• Present your work at Field at robotic conferences

Contribute to Robotics Foundation Model Development

• Support data collection pipelines used to train robotics foundation models.
• Work with embodiment‑agnostic representations to enable transfer across robot platforms.
• Collaborate with researchers to integrate manipulation data into scalable learning frameworks.

Collaborate Across Disciplines

• Work with teleoperators and field teams to refine interfaces and improve manipulation outcomes.
• Partner closely with researchers and engineers to align experiments with broader autonomy goals.
• Engage with mechanical and electrical engineers on hardware integration and system bring‑up.

What You Have

• Current PhD student in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, AI/ML, or a closely related field.
• Research experience in robotic manipulation, loco‑manipulation, or related robotics domains.
• Strong foundation in robot kinematics, dynamics, and control.
• Proficiency in Python and/or C++, with experience using robotics or ML tooling.
• Experience designing experiments and evaluating results on robotic systems (simulation or hardware).
• Curiosity, initiative, and a strong interest in embodied intelligence and real‑world robotics.
• Publications in leading robotics journals/conferences (ICRA, IROS, CORL, RA‑L, T‑RO, etc.)

The Extras That Set You Apart

• Prior experience working with humanoid robots or dexterous robotic hands.
• Background in learning‑based manipulation, including imitation learning or reinforcement learning.
• Hands‑on experience running experiments on real robot hardware.
• Familiarity with ROS or ROS 2.
• Publications, preprints, or open‑source contributions in robotics or AI.
• Interest in bridging cutting‑edge research with practical, field‑ready robotic systems.

$40 - $60 an hour

Why Join Field AI?

FieldAI is tackling one of robotics’ hardest problems: deploying robots in unstructured, previously unknown environments. Our Field Foundational Models advance perception, planning, localization, and manipulation with an emphasis on explainability and safety, so our systems can be trusted where it matters most.

You will work alongside a world‑class team that values creativity, resilience, and bold thinking. We bring a decade‑long track record of real‑world deployments, strong performance in DARPA challenges, and experience from organizations such as DeepMind, NASA JPL, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, Amazon, Tesla Autopilot, Cruise, Zoox, Toyota Research Institute, and SpaceX.

Our R&D organization is growing and anchored in Boston, with close collaboration across our teams in Southern California and with colleagues around the US and globally.

Be Part of the Next Robotics Revolution

Solving problems at this scale takes a team as unique as the mission. We are looking for people who push beyond conventional approaches, enjoy tackling tough and ambiguous questions, and bring interdisciplinary perspective. Our success depends on exceptional AI researchers and engineers, as well as strong software developers, product designers, field deployment experts, and communicators who can turn breakthroughs into real capability.

We are headquartered in Irvine, Southern California, with teammates across the US and around the world. Join us to shape the future of embodied intelligence as part of a fun, close‑knit team building systems that work in the real world.

Equal Opportunity

FieldAI celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Candidates and employees are evaluated based on merit, qualifications, and performance. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other legally protected status.