Senior Robotics Research Scientist

We are now looking for a Senior Robotics Research Scientist! NVIDIA is at the forefront of the AI and robotics revolution, and our robotics teams are on a mission to build the essential technology that can enable any company to become a robotics company. The Seattle Robotics Lab is focused on fundamental and applied robotics research across the full robotics stack, including perception, planning, control, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and simulation.

This research aims to transform research paradigms, transfer into NVIDIA’s robotics and simulation products, and create new robotics markets for the world.

• Developing algorithms, models, and methods for robotic manipulation and loco-manipulation, for both industrial and household applications;
• Integrating these methods into real-world robotic manipulation systems, including those consisting of collaborative robot arms, industrial robot arms, mobile manipulators, humanoids, and dexterous hands;
• Co‑leading and contributing to multi‑person research projects that require a diverse set of skills across the robotics and machine learning stack;
• Engaging with the academic community through high‑impact publications, conferences, workshops, and code releases;
• Collaborating with product managers and engineering teams to transfer your research into NVIDIA products that will have real‑world impact;
• Mentoring interns and more junior research scientists and engineers.

• A PhD in Robotics, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience). At least 3 years of research experience after completing your PhD; 5+ years is preferred.
• Deep knowledge of both the theory and practice of robotics and AI, with a strong interest in connecting your work to real‑world robotics applications.
• A proven track record of research excellence, with work published in top robotics and AI conferences and journals such as RSS, CoRL, ICRA, IROS, IJRR, T‑RO, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, and EMNLP.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with significant experience working on teams as both a leader and a contributor.
• Exceptional programming skills in Python; in addition, familiarity with C++, CUDA, and Warp is a plus.
• Fluency in modern deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch and JAX. Significant experience with robotics frameworks such as ROS2 and physics simulation frameworks such as Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, and Mu Jo Co .
• Deep comfort in working through the complexities of simulation and real‑world robotics, including debugging physics simulators and renderers under rapid development; selecting, setting up, maintaining, and enhancing complex robotics hardware; debugging communication systems; and designing robust workflows for model training and evaluation.

• Prior experience working with product managers and engineering teams to transfer research into products is a significant plus.
• A history of successfully mentoring junior researchers, engineers, and/or interns.
• Experience with one or more of the following research areas and applications, which are of particular interest:
• • Bimanual and dexterous manipulation
  • Mobile manipulation and humanoid loco‑manipulation
  • Multisensory perception (e.g., vision, tactile, and force/torque sensing)
  • Simulation, sim‑to‑real, and real‑to‑sim
  • Vision‑language‑action (VLA) models, including architectural advancements, large‑scale training, and test‑time reasoning
  • Industrial applications, such as bin‑picking, kitting, and assembly

The Seattle Robotics Lab is currently located near the University of Washington and is moving to a new office in the vibrant Fremont neighborhood in 2026.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 192,000 USD - 304,750 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until January 13, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.