Senior Robotics Research Scientist

NVIDIA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 192,000 - 356,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA is seeking a Senior Robotics Research Scientist to drive advancements in robotics technology from their Seattle Robotics Lab. This role involves developing algorithms for robotic manipulation and engaging with the academic community through publications. Candidates need a PhD in a related field and substantial research experience.

Strong programming skills in Python and familiarity with robotics frameworks like ROS2 are essential. The position offers a competitive salary and opportunities for equity and benefits.

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of research experience after PhD, 5+ years preferred.
• Deep knowledge of robotics and AI, especially in real-world applications.
• Proven track record of published research in top conferences.

Responsibilities

• Develop algorithms for robotic manipulation for industrial and household applications.
• Integrate methods into real-world robotic systems.
• Engage with the academic community through publications and conferences.

Skills

Robotic manipulation

Programming in Python

Collaboration

Deep learning frameworks

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Robotics, Machine Learning, or related field

Tools

ROS2

Isaac Sim

PyTorch

Job description

We are now looking for a Senior Robotics Research Scientist! NVIDIA is at the forefront of the AI and robotics revolution, and our robotics teams are on a mission to build the essential technology that can enable any company to become a robotics company. The Seattle Robotics Lab is focused on fundamental and applied robotics research across the full robotics stack, including perception, planning, control, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and simulation. This research aims to transform research paradigms, transfer into NVIDIA’s robotics and simulation products, and create new robotics markets for the world.

The Seattle Robotics Lab has led many influential works that have been presented at top robotics, AI, and computer vision conferences; these works include BayesSim, cuRobo, DeXtreme, DiSECT, Factory, GraspNet, ITPS, MimicGen, RVT, and SHAC. The work has deeply impacted the research community and NVIDIA products, including Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, and Isaac Manipulator. Furthermore, SRL collaborates closely with other research and engineering teams to advance and leverage the Cosmos and GR00T-N foundation models, as well as the Newton physics simulation engine. The team is targeting several grand challenges in robotics and is aiming to achieve never-before-seen capabilities within 2-3 years. We are looking for world-class senior research scientists to play a pivotal role in these efforts, providing both technical leadership and hands‑on technical contributions. These scientists must have exceptional research and engineering skills, a proven research track record, strong supporting references, and a team‑first mentality.

What you will be doing

• Developing algorithms, models, and methods for robotic manipulation and loco‑manipulation, for both industrial and household applications;
• Integrating these methods into real‑world robotic manipulation systems, including those consisting of collaborative robot arms, industrial robot arms, mobile manipulators, humanoids, and dexterous hands;
• Co‑leading and contributing to multi‑person research projects that require a diverse set of skills across the robotics and machine learning stack;
• Engaging with the academic community through high‑impact publications, conferences, workshops, and code releases;
• Collaborating with product managers and engineering teams to transfer your research into NVIDIA products that will have real‑world impact;
• Mentoring interns and more junior research scientists and engineers.

What we need to see

• A PhD in Robotics, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience). At least 3 years of research experience after completing your PhD; 5+ years is preferred.
• Deep knowledge of both the theory and practice of robotics and AI, with a strong interest in connecting your work to real‑world robotics applications.
• A proven track record of research excellence, with work published in top robotics and AI conferences and journals such as RSS, CoRL, ICRA, IROS, IJRR, T‑RO, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, and EMNLP.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with significant experience working on teams as both a leader and a contributor.
• Exceptional programming skills in Python; in addition, familiarity with C++, CUDA, and Warp is a plus.
• Fluency in modern deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch and JAX. Significant experience with robotics frameworks such as ROS2 and physics simulation frameworks such as Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, and MuJoCo.
• Deep comfort in working through the complexities of simulation and real‑world robotics, including debugging physics simulators and renderers under rapid development; selecting, setting up, maintaining, and enhancing complex robotics hardware; debugging communication systems; and designing robust workflows for model training and evaluation.

Ways to stand out from the crowd

• Prior experience working with product managers and engineering teams to transfer research into products is a significant plus.
• A history of successfully mentoring junior researchers, engineers, and/or interns.
• Experience with one or more of the following research areas and applications, which are of particular interest:
  • Bimanual and dexterous manipulation
  • Mobile manipulation and humanoid loco‑manipulation
  • Multisensory perception (vision, tactile, and force/torque sensing)
  • Simulation, sim‑to‑real, and real‑to‑sim
  • Vision‑language‑action (VLA) models, including architectural advancements, large‑scale training, and test‑time reasoning
  • Industrial applications, such as bin‑picking, kitting, and assembly

The Seattle Robotics Lab is currently located near the University of Washington and is moving to a new office in the vibrant Fremont neighborhood in 2026.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 192,000 USD – 304,750 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD – 356,500 USD for Level 5.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal‑opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.