Senior Researcher, Embodied Intelligence & Robotics

Samsung Electronics GmbH; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 158,000 - 219,000; Full time

Job summary

Samsung Research America seeks a candidate with strong technical and academic experience in robotics. You will develop models for advanced robotic systems, impacting the future of robotics within Samsung's ecosystem. This role offers unique challenges in AI and robotics, making it a remarkable career opportunity.

Qualifications

• 2+ years’ industry experience in robotics models.
• Strong understanding of video tokenizer design.
• Experience with reinforcement learning and task planning.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize robotics foundation models.
• Work on novel techniques for training VLA models.
• Assist in design, analysis, and performance evaluation.

Skills

Computer vision techniques

Problem-solving

Verbal communication

Writing skills

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in EECS/Robotics

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

C

C++

Java

ROS

CUDA

Job description

Job Location

Mountain View, CA

Job Category

Job Type

Full-Time

Job #

402654

Job Department

Emerging Technologies

Lab Summary: The Robot Intelligence Lab at Samsung Research America is a new facility dedicated to advancing the field of robotics through cutting-edge research and development.The lab’s mission is to develop advanced technologies such as robotics foundation models, vision-language-action (VLA) models, vision language models (VLMs), reinforcement learning, imitation learning, advanced sensing, and sensor fusion to create intelligent robotic systems capable of interacting with their environment in a human-like natural manner. To achieve this mission, the lab collaborates closely with both with external entities such as universities, startups, and government labs, and with several Samsung Product and Advanced Research labs.

Position Summary: Samsung Research America is looking for someone who has solid technical skills and rich academic and/or industry experience in areas of robotics and embodied intelligence. Our ideal candidate is to explore novel AI technologies towards generalizing robots to perform tasks in the real world. Samsung’s unique advantage in the consumer electronics market and growing focus on AI and robotics will provide you with exciting technical challenges and a rewarding career experience. By leveraging Samsung’s vast product ecosystem to deliver novel user experiences, your work will define Samsung’s future in robotics and significantly impact real-world users.

Position Responsibilities:

• Develop and optimize robotics foundation models, vision-language-action (VLA) models, and vision language models (VLMs) for robotics and embodied intelligence
• Work with team to explore novel techniques, device interfaces, and policy architectures to train robotic vision-language-action (VLA) models effectively with limited available data
• Design architectures that interpret high-level task instructions and generate low-level task commands
• Enable real-time video encoders with multi-view inputs for robust scene understanding, enable VLMs to reason about general task knowledge, including tool usage, object interactions, and task feasibility assessment, and enable Chain-of-Thought (CoT) task reasoning on VLM for complex, multi-step task execution
• Develop efficient 3D scene graph representation and other 3D semantic/geometric models/solutions
• Work within cross-functional, cross-divisional teams and assist in the design, analysis and performance evaluation from concept to completion
• Generate patents and scientific research papers for top-tier publications

Required Skills:

• PhD or Master’s degree in EECS/Robotics or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 2+ years’ industry experience in robotics foundation models, vision-language-action (VLA) models, and vision language models (VLMs)
• Solid understanding of computer vision techniques (e.g., object detection, segmentation, tracking) and real-time video tokenizer design and multi-view image processing
• Strong research experience with embodied intelligence (reinforcement learning, imitation learning, task planning, perception, simulation platforms such as Mujoco and Isaac Sim)
• Strong experience and solid background on foundation models (e.g., contrastive learning, AI agent, fine-tuning, LoRA), generative AI, and diffusion models
• Knowledgeable of tools and processes to monitor model performance and data quality, including model tuning experience
• Familiarity with PyTorch, TensorFlow, C, C++, Java, ROS, and CUDA
• Strong understanding of robotics fundamentals, including locomotion, manipulation, sensor inputs, pose tracking, 3D mapping, SLAM, ROS, and policy architectures particularly for semi-structured and unstructured environments
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent verbal communication and writing skills to effectively represent the derived results and technical concepts developed in the course of the work

Our total rewards programs are designed to motivate and engage exceptional talent. The base pay range for roles at this level is listed below, but may be higher or lower in other states due to geographic differentials in the labor market. Within the base pay range, individual rates depend on a number of factors—including the role’s function and location as well as the individual’s knowledge, skills, experience, education and training. This is part of our comprehensive compensation package with annual bonus eligibility and generous benefits to help you live life well.

Base Pay Range

$158,800 — $218,100 USD

Additional Information

Disclosure of Trade Secrets

Samsung has a strict policy on trade secrets. In applying to Samsung and progressing through the recruitment process, you must not disclose any trade secrets of a current or previous employer.

Essential Job Functions

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, and frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

Samsung Research America is committed to complying with all Federal, State and local laws related to the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact the recruiter or email [e-mail].

At Samsung, we believe that innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We aim to create a global team where everyone belongs and has equal opportunities, inspiring our talent to be their true selves. Together, we are building a better tomorrow for our customers, partners, and communities.

Samsung Research America is committed to employing a diverse workforce, and provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

For more information regarding protection from discrimination under Federal law for applicants and employees, please refer to this link: Pay Transparency