Senior Scientist – Physical AI for Surgical Robotics (Cambridge, MA)

Philips International; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 157,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

401k match

HSA contribution

Stock purchase plan

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Philips in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Senior Scientist to advance Physical AI for surgical robotics. You will integrate robotics with multimodal AI, design production‑grade algorithms, and ensure regulatory compliance within a cross‑functional team environment.

The role requires 5+ years in AI/robotics for image‑guided procedures, strong Python/C++ skills, and experience with robotics foundation models and CI/CD practices. A Master’s or PhD is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years applying AI or robotics to image‑guided interventions or surgical robotics.
• Experience with robotics foundation models and multimodal AI.
• Familiarity with reinforcement learning and learning from demonstration is preferred.
• Strong hands‑on programming in Python/C++ and exposure to CI/CD.

Responsibilities

• Develop Physical AI solutions for surgical robotics by combining model‑based robotics with multimodal foundation models.
• Design and evaluate AI solutions for image‑guided interventions and robotic autonomy.
• Develop algorithms and software in an FDA‑regulated environment.
• Contribute to system architecture, validation strategy, and documentation for regulatory processes.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to translate research into robust production solutions.
• Stay current with MedTech and AI advances and contribute to IP development.

Skills

Robotics

AI in medical imaging

Vision-Language-Action models

Multimodal AI

Python

C++

CI/CD

Education

Master's or PhD in Robotics/Computer Science/AI

Tools

ROS

CUDA

Git

Job description

Job Title

Senior Scientist – Physical AI for Surgical Robotics (Cambridge, MA)

Job Description

Join Philips to help shape the next generation of intelligent surgical robotics. In this role, you will work with robotics, software, and clinical experts to develop first‑of‑a‑kind Physical AI solutions that advance autonomy, decision‑making, and workflow intelligence for image‑guided procedures.

Your role

• Develop and apply Physical AI solutions for surgical robotics by combining model‑based robotics methods with multimodal foundation models, including Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) models.
• Design and evaluate AI solutions that combine vision, language, and robot actions for image‑guided interventions and surgical robotics applications.
• Develop algorithms and software in an FDA‑regulated environment.
• Contribute to system architecture, algorithm design, experimentation, validation strategy, and technical documentation in alignment with medical device regulatory processes.
• Partner closely with system engineering, design, clinical, regulatory, product management, and business marketing teams to translate research concepts into robust, production‑oriented solutions.
• Stay informed about the latest advancements in MedTech and AI, and actively contribute to intellectual property creation.

You’re the right fit if

• You’ve acquired 5+ years of experience applying AI or robotics methods to image‑guided interventions, surgical robotics, medical imaging, or a closely related technology domain.
• Your skills include: You have experience with robotics foundation models, including Vision‑Language‑Action models, multimodal AI, large language models, or vision models.
• Familiarity with reinforcement learning and learning from demonstration is preferred.
• Strong robotics background, including model‑based methods for motion planning, control, or robotic autonomy.
• Strong hands‑on programmer who writes clean, maintainable code, follows modern software engineering practices, and works effectively within CI/CD processes.
• Proficient in Python and modern AI/ML frameworks, with practical experience training, evaluating, and deploying machine learning models.
• Knowledge of C++ is preferred.
• Translate ambitious research goals into milestone‑driven technical plans, prototypes, validation evidence, and clear documentation for externally funded programs.
• Comfortable translating the work into practical product development within a regulated medical device environment.
• Experience, or strong interest, in safety‑bounded autonomy, uncertainty estimation, fail‑safe control, or runtime monitoring for AI‑enabled robotic systems.
• A Master’s or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical field. PhD is preferred.
• You can independently lead technical work from concept through implementation, define solution design, drive execution, and coordinate effectively across cross‑functional teams and academic partners.

You must be able to successfully perform the following minimum physical, cognitive and environmental job requirements with or without accommodation for this position.

How we work together

We believe that we are better together than apart. For our office‑based teams, this means working in‑person at least 3 days per week. Onsite roles require full‑time presence in the company’s facilities. Field roles are most effectively done outside of the company’s main facilities, generally at the customers’ or suppliers’ locations. This is an office role.

About Philips

We are a health technology company. We built our entire company around the belief that every human matters, and we won't stop until everybody everywhere has access to the quality healthcare that we all deserve. Do the work of your life to help improve the lives of others. Learn more about our business. Discover our rich and exciting history. Learn more about our purpose. Learn more about our culture.

Philips Transparency Details

The pay range for this position in Cambridge, MA is $157,000 to $249,000. The actual base pay offered may vary within the posted ranges depending on multiple factors including job‑related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal equity. In addition, other compensation, such as an annual incentive bonus, sales commission or long‑term incentives may be offered.

Benefits

• generous PTO
• 401k (up to 7% match)
• HSA (with company contribution)
• stock purchase plan
• education reimbursement
• and much more.

Additional Information

US work authorization is a precondition of employment. The company will not consider candidates who require sponsorship for a work‑authorized visa, now or in the future. Company relocation benefits will not be provided for this position. For this position, you must reside in or within commuting distance to Cambridge, MA.

Equal Employment and Opportunity

Philips is an Equal Employment and Opportunity Employer including Disability/Vets and maintains a drug‑free workplace. At Philips, we believe that every human matters. As a global health‑tech leader, we focus on improving people’s health and wellbeing through meaningful innovation. The people who work here share our passion and are motivated to bring this purpose to life. For more than 130 years, we have been creating technologies and innovations that improve people’s lives and support healthcare practitioners. Headquartered in the Netherlands and operating in more than 100 countries globally, we focus our advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights on Precision Diagnosis, Image Guided Therapy, Enterprise Informatics, Monitoring/ Connected Care, Sleep & Respiratory Care and Personal Health. Together, we deliver better care for more people because we believe that every human matters. That's why we're taking steps to create an environment where we acknowledge and embrace our differences and uniqueness and listen to and value each other's views. When people feel cared for and listened to, they bring their best qualities to work, leading to better collaboration, communication, innovation and success. It is the policy of Philips to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy/childbirth or related medical conditions, age, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, physical or mental disability, genetic information, citizenship status, veteran or military status, marital or domestic partner status or any other characteristic protected by law. As an equal opportunity employer, Philips is committed to fostering a culture where all are treated with respect and professionalism. To ensure reasonable accommodations for individuals protected by Section503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974 and TitleI of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact 888‑367‑7223, option5, for assistance. Philips is an Equal Employment and Opportunity Employer including Disability/Vets and maintains a drug‑free workplace.