Posted 5 months ago
Research Scientist
AI Summary
Designs and develops robot autonomy software and algorithms for grasping and dexterous behaviors in unstructured environments; researches and deploys robot learning policies and production-scale ML systems.
About this role
What you'll do
● Design and develop robot autonomy software stack and algorithms to enable capabilities including grasping and more dexterous behaviors in unstructured environments
● Research and implement state-of-the-art robot learning policies, including reinforcement learning and imitation learning-based techniques
● Build reliable, high-speed robot autonomy software stack optimized for inference performance
● Design and maintain robust data collection and curation pipelines for production robot fleets
● Optimize robot policies for distributed training at scale and real-time edge deployment
● Ship production quality, safety-critical software
● Advance SOTA dexterous manipulation research through novel methodologies while bridging theory & practice—real customer use-cases with clear success criteria.
Required Qualifications
● PhD or MS degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or equivalent technical discipline
● Deep expertise in machine learning fundamentals, reinforcement learning, and associated frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Ray, etc.)
● 3+ years of proven track record developing and deploying ML systems from research through production implementation
● Hands-on experience with model lifecycle management including training, deployment, and maintenance in production settings
Preferred Qualifications
● Authored or co-authored peer-reviewed publications in robotics or related fields
● Hands-on experience designing and implementing bimanual manipulation tech stacks with imitation learning or RL-based methods
● Background in real-time ML inference systems, simulation-to-reality transfer, or advanced reinforcement learning implementations
Benefits
● We support publishing at top robotics/ML venues and presenting at conferences (travel + time fully covered).
● Medical, dental & vision plans
● Daily meals stipend
Hiring Process
● Phone screen + 3 virtual technical interviews + onsite
Expected Compensation
● $150,000 - $250,000 annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits
● The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
Skills
Explore related jobs
More jobs at Deft AI, Inc.
- Machine Learning EngineerSan Francisco
- Industrial Designer, Head of CreativeSan Francisco
- Electrical Engineer Intern (Spring-Summer 2026)San Francisco
- Mechanical Engineer Intern (Spring-Summer 2026)San Francisco
- Senior Electrical Design EngineerSan Francisco
- Senior Mechanical Design EngineerSan Francisco
Jobs in San Francisco
- Culinary Arts InstructorEquus · San Francisco, CA
- VP of MarketingMirantis · San Francisco, California
- Associate Project ManagerTurner & Townsend · San Francisco, California
- Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - Construction ManagementTurner & Townsend · San Francisco, California
- Community ManagerSia · San Francisco, CA
- Cost Manager / Quantity Surveyor - ConstructionTurner & Townsend · San Francisco, California
Browse these categories
Market data for this role
All reports →- SeriesRole reportsOne role family at a time: how many openings, what changed this week, who is hiring, what it pays.
- SeriesSalary reportsWhat employers publish in job postings, by level and workplace. Not self-reported pay.
- Market overviewState of tech hiring, September 2026: up 4.8%Tech hiring rose 4.8% month over month in September 2026, with 411,122 new listings. Customer support and account executive roles led the growth.