Staff/Sr. Staff, Physical AI Researcher (LG Emerging Tech Lab)

LG Electronics USA; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

No-cost premiums for medical, dental,

401(k) with employer matching

Generous Paid Time Off

Performance-based incentives

Mental health resources

Parental leave support

Group life and disability insurance

Job summary

LG Electronics USA in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a PhD-level Physical AI Lead to shape embodied intelligence strategies and roadmap LG robot platforms. This hybrid role will guide research directions and help translate breakthroughs into scalable products.

You will lead a growing team of Physical AI researchers, collaborate with LG AI, robotics, software, and product teams, and partner with external labs to advance multimodal models and real-world robotic systems.

Qualifications

• PhD in CS/Robotics/ML with 3+ years industry experience.
• Deep research and engineering expertise in robot foundation models, world model training, spatial intelligence, multimodal representation learning, and learning from demonstrations.

Responsibilities

• Set the technical direction for LG's Physical AI team, leading advanced research in multimodal robot foundation models and physical intelligence.
• Lead and manage collaborations with LG HQ and third-party research labs to drive the technical integration of advanced robotics technologies into the LG ecosystem.
• Build and influence a cross-functional Physical AI ecosystem, partnering with LG's AI, robotics, software, and product teams as well as leading external research partners.
• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that align cutting-edge research with strategic business objectives.
• Lead fundamental and applied research that advances the scientific and technological frontiers of physical intelligence, with a clear path toward real-world robotic systems.
• Invent and improve paradigms for physical intelligence, including multimodal foundation models (images, video, text, tactile, etc.), world-action models, generalist dexterity, and agentic robot orchestration.

Skills

Robot foundation models

World model training

Spatial intelligence

Multimodal learning

Human demonstrations

Project leadership

Robotics integration

Education

PhD in CS/Robotics/ML

Tools

PyBullet

MuJoCo

Isaac Sim

LiDAR

Depth cameras

Tactile sensors

Job description

Step into the innovative world of LG Electronics. As a global leader in technology, LG Electronics is dedicated to creating innovative solutions for a better life. Our brand promise, 'Life's Good', embodies our commitment to ensuring a happier life for all. We have a rich history spanning over six decades and a global presence in over 290 locations. Our diverse portfolio includes Home Appliance Solutions, Media Entertainment Solutions, Vehicle Solutions, and Eco Solutions. Our management philosophy, "Jeong-do Management," embodies our commitment to high ethical standards and transparent operations. Grounded in the principles of 'Customer-Value Creation' and 'People-Oriented Management', these values shape our corporate culture, fostering creativity, diversity, and integrity. At LG, we believe in the power of collective wisdom through an inclusive work environment. Join us and become a part of a company that is shaping the future of technology. At LG, we strive to make Life Good for Everyone.

The Opportunity

About the Team - LG's Emerging Technology Lab

LG's Emerging Technology Lab (ETL) is the catalyst for technological innovation within LG's CTO organization. Based in Silicon Valley and New Jersey, we drive excellence across the CTO organization and LG's business units by pioneering select emerging technology areas. As a Center of Excellence (CoE), we define and shape key technology domains, setting strategic directions that foster impactful internal and external partnerships and deliver measurable business value.

About the Position - Physical AI Lead

We are seeking an exceptional Physical AI researcher to help define the future of embodied intelligence at LG and shape our research and product roadmaps toward the vision of Zero-Labor Home.

This hybrid role, based at LG's Emerging Tech Lab in Santa Clara, CA, offers a unique opportunity to develop generalist robot intelligence and deploy it at scale in next-generation LG robot platforms. You will work at the frontier of embodied intelligence, leading research that can transition from breakthrough ideas to real-world products at global scale.

You will lead a growing team of Physical AI researchers and work closely with robotics and AI teams across LG to translate cutting-edge research into next-generation intelligent systems.

What You Will Do

• Set the technical direction for LG's Physical AI team, leading advanced research in multimodal robot foundation models and physical intelligence.
• Lead and manage collaborations with LG HQ and third-party research labs to drive the technical integration of advanced robotics technologies into the LG ecosystem.
• Build and influence a cross-functional Physical AI ecosystem, partnering with LG's AI, robotics, software, and product teams as well as leading external research partners.
• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that align cutting-edge research with strategic business objectives.
• Lead fundamental and applied research that advances the scientific and technological frontiers of physical intelligence, with a clear path toward real-world robotic systems.
• Invent and improve paradigms for physical intelligence, including multimodal foundation models (images, video, text, tactile, etc.), world-action models, generalist dexterity, and agentic robot orchestration.

Why This Opportunity Is Unique

• See your research move beyond the lab. Work at the intersection of frontier AI research and large-scale consumer deployment, where breakthroughs can transition rapidly from research into products.
• Maintain a strong research presence while building real products, with support for research ownership, publication, and collaboration with leading universities and AI labs.
• Engage with startups and industry collaborators to co-design hardware-software systems and validate them in real-world applications.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related technical field, with a strong publication record and 3+ years of industry experience.
• Deep research and engineering expertise in one or more of the following areas:
• Robot foundation models (e.g., VLAs, LBMs, diffusion/flow matching policies for manipulation and locomotion)
• World model training for robot action prediction
• Spatial intelligence (self-supervised visual foundation models, 3D scene reconstruction, embodied scene understanding)
• Multimodal representation learning across vision, language, and touch
• Learning from human demonstrations and self-play
• 1+ years of experience leading technically ambitious research projects in dynamic, fast-moving environments.
• Hands-on experience integrating AI models with real robotic systems, including manipulators and/or mobile robots, and sensors such as RGB and depth cameras, LiDAR, force-torque sensors, and tactile sensors.
• Experience with physics-based simulation platforms (e.g., PyBullet, MuJoCo, Isaac Sim) for large-scale data generation, experimentation, and evaluation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical ideas across research, engineering, and leadership teams.

Recruiting Range

$200,000-$350,000 USD

Benefits Offered Full-Time Employees:

• No-cost employee premiums for you and your eligible dependents for competitive medical, dental, vision and prescription benefits.
• Auto enrollment with immediate vesting of competitive company matching contributions in a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with several investmentoptions.
• Generous Paid Time Off program that includes company holidays and a combined bank of paid sick and vacation time.
• Performance based Short-Term Incentives (varies by role).
• Access to confidential mental health resources to help you and your loved ones improve your quality of life. Personal fitness goal incentives.
• Family orientated benefits such as paid parental leave and support for families raising children with learning, social, behavioral challenges, or developmental disabilities.
• Group Rate Life and Disability Insurance.

Benefits Offered Temporary/Contractors:

• Eligible for the relevant benefit programs offered through our partner agencies.

Privacy Notice to California Applicants

Applicants who need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the hiring process may contact our team by phone at: 973-477-7090 [e-mail]. This email and phone number will only reply to accommodation requests and is not intended for general employment inquiries.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

In addition to the above, LG believes that pay transparency is a key part of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our salary ranges take into account many factors in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skillset, experience, licensure, certifications, internal equity, and other business needs. While we consider geographic pay differentials in final offers, because we operate in many geographies where applicable, the salary range listed may not reflect all geographic differentials applied.

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Please Note: the salary range provided is dependent on the experience and level of candidate hired.