Staff Research Roboticist

Boston Dynamics, Inc.; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k)

Annual bonus

Job summary

Boston Dynamics, Inc. is seeking a curious, driven team member to develop cutting-edge ML and RL solutions that run directly on our Spot robots. You will design, train, and deploy algorithms for last-mile delivery challenges in real-world environments.

The role involves implementing software in Python and C++, evaluating new approaches in simulation and on hardware, collaborating with robotics and AI teams to advance autonomous capabilities.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, ML, Robotics, or related field.
• Experience deploying ML/RL directly onto robotic hardware.
• Proficiency with modern ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX).
• Strong Python or C++ software engineering fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, train, and deploy state-of-the-art ML/RL algorithms for last-mile delivery.
• Develop and integrate software in Python and/or C++.
• Evaluate algorithms in simulation and on real Spot robots in outdoor environments.

Skills

ML

RL

Robotics

Software engineering

Education

MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

Python

C++

Job description

At Boston Dynamics, we are pushing the boundaries of what advanced robots can do in the real world. The Spot team is building next-generation last-mile delivery capabilities, and we are seeking a curious, driven team member to develop cutting-edge machine learning (ML) and reinforcement learning (RL) solutions that run directly on our robots.

What You’ll Do

• Design, implement, train, and deploy state-of-the‑art ML/RL algorithms for complex last-mile delivery challenges
• Develop and integrate software in Python and/or C++
• Evaluate new algorithms in our simulation environments and directly on our fleet of real Spot robots in unstructured, outdoor environments

We’re Looking For

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related field
• Experience deploying state-of-the‑art ML or RL techniques (for either perception or control) directly onto physical robotic hardware
• Proficiency with a modern ML framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX)
• Strong software engineering fundamentals in Python or C++.
• You know how to leverage modern AI coding tools to accelerate development while maintaining rigorous standards for testing and system architecture.

The base pay range for this position is between $180,000 to $240,000 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Boston Dynamics offers a generous Benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401(k), paid time off and a annual bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.

We are growing rapidly, building a commercial company that delivers cutting edge technology and solutions to our customers from industrial applications to logistics and warehouse solutions.