Robotics Research Lead

Boston, MA

We\'re partnering with an early-stage, venture-backed robotics startup that\'s building next-generation AI-powered controls and simulation software. The company is assembling a world-class research team focused on solving challenging robotics and autonomous systems problems, while translating cutting-edge research into tools that deliver real-world impact across multiple industries.

This is an opportunity to join as one of the first technical hires, helping shape both the technology and the future direction of the business.

The Opportunity

As a Robotics Research Lead, you\'ll combine robotics research with hands-on software engineering to develop advanced controls, simulation, and machine learning technologies for real-world robotic systems.

You\'ll work closely with a small team of exceptional engineers, owning key technical initiatives while helping establish the foundations of a growing robotics research organization.

This role offers significant technical ownership, the opportunity to publish and showcase innovative work, and a clear path toward technical or organizational leadership as the company scales.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop state-of-the-art robotics algorithms for controls and simulation
• Design learning-based control systems using reinforcement learning, model-based control, and modern AI techniques
• Develop simulation environments and sim-to-real workflows
• Build scalable infrastructure for robotics data, model training, and experimentation
• Transform research into production-ready software tools
• Collaborate with engineering teams solving real-world robotics challenges
• Prototype and demonstrate new robotics capabilities using custom hardware
• Help shape the technical roadmap and future engineering team

What We\'re Looking For

• Strong background in robotics research, controls, or autonomous systems
• Experience with robotics simulation and machine learning
• Expertise in several of the following:
  • Reinforcement Learning
  • Model Predictive Control (MPC/MPPI)
  • Dynamics modelling and system identification
  • Sim-to-real transfer
  • Motion planning
  • AI for robotics
  • Real-time control systems
• Strong software engineering skills, ideally in Python and/or C++
• Experience training machine learning models and building research infrastructure
• MSc or PhD preferred, although exceptional industry experience will also be considered

Ideal Background

We\'re interested in engineers from areas such as:

• Robotics
• Autonomous Vehicles
• Aerospace
• Industrial Automation
• Marine Autonomy
• Advanced Manufacturing
• AI Research

What\'s on Offer

• Opportunity to become one of the earliest technical hires
• Significant equity alongside a competitive salary
• Direct influence on company strategy and technical direction
• Small, highly collaborative engineering team
• Opportunity to build technology with immediate commercial impact
• Clear progression into technical leadership as the company grows

Location: Boston, MA

This is an on-site position. The company believes close collaboration is critical during this early stage and is building an in-person engineering culture.