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Director Robotics Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

G2i

Robotics ML Expert, AI

Miami, FL · On-site

$30 - $70/hr

Design, build, and iterate on MuJoCo simulation environments for robotics research and AI training ... Self-directed, detail-oriented, comfortable working independently in an async environment * Strong ...

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How much do director robotics research jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average yearly pay for director robotics research in the United States is $119,966.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $107,000.00 and $141,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Director of Robotics Research typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive innovation?

A Director of Robotics Research often works closely with engineers, data scientists, product managers, and external partners to align research objectives with organizational goals. This collaboration involves regular meetings to review project milestones, integrating feedback from various departments, and ensuring research outcomes are feasible for production. Effective communication and leadership are essential, as the director must translate complex research findings into actionable plans for diverse teams. Facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration not only accelerates innovation but also helps in identifying real-world applications for emerging robotics technologies.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Robotics Research, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Robotics Research, you need an advanced degree (often a Ph.D.) in robotics, computer science, or a related field, along with deep expertise in robotics algorithms, AI, and research methodology. Familiarity with programming languages (like Python and C++), robotics simulation tools, and experience with research publication and grant management are essential. Visionary leadership, effective communication, and the ability to mentor and inspire interdisciplinary teams set top candidates apart. These competencies are crucial for driving innovative research, securing funding, and translating breakthroughs into real-world robotic solutions.

What does a Director of Robotics Research do?

A Director of Robotics Research leads and oversees research initiatives focused on developing innovative robotics technologies. They manage teams of scientists and engineers, set research priorities, and collaborate with other departments to align robotics projects with organizational goals. Their role often includes securing funding, publishing research findings, and ensuring that projects meet both technical and commercial objectives. Additionally, they stay up-to-date with advancements in robotics to guide strategic decision-making and maintain the organization’s competitive edge.
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Director Robotics Research jobs near you

Robotics Research Engineer

Foundry Robotics Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 6 days ago

Job description

Robotics Research Engineer
About Us
We are reimagining manufacturing through advanced robotics. Our mission is to rebuild the American manufacturing industry as an AI-first, assembly-focused, dual-use contract manufacturer. We aim to empower manufacturers with intelligent, efficient, and adaptable robotic systems that redefine productivity and quality. As a founding member of our engineering team, you will have a direct and significant impact on our product, culture, and ultimate success. This role is 100% in-person at our office in the mission, SF.
The Role
We are hiring a Robotics Research Engineer to design, implement, and deploy intelligent robotic systems for manufacturing.
This is not a purely academic role - and not a generic software role. You will work across:
  • ROS2-based system architecture
  • Manipulation and navigation
  • Perception and VLA-based control
  • Traditional controls fused with learned methods
  • On-site deployment in production manufacturing workcells

You should be equally comfortable reading robotics papers, tuning controllers, debugging sensor calibration, and pushing production code to robots running on a factory floor.
Key Responsibilities
Robotics Systems & Architecture
  • Design and implement distributed robotic systems in ROS2
  • Build modular autonomy stacks for manipulation and mobile platforms
  • Own system-level performance, latency, and reliability

Robotics Foundation Models (VLA)
  • Develop and integrate Vision-Language-Action models for robotic control
  • Design data collection pipelines and fine-tune foundation models for assembly tasks
  • Benchmark and evaluate real-world performance

Controls + Learning
  • Fuse traditional control with learned policies
  • Implement hybrid perception-planning-control architectures
  • Improve robustness, repeatability, and safety in physical systems

Manipulation, Navigation & Deployment
  • Develop algorithms for dexterous manipulation and industrial navigation
  • Ship systems from prototype to production
  • Debug real-world edge cases (lighting, calibration drift, wear, latency) and maintain deployed robotic cells
What We're Looking For
Deployment Mentality
  • Experience shipping systems into real environments (not just lab demos)
  • Comfort debugging hardware-software integration issues
  • Ability to own systems end-to-end

Ownership
  • Thrives in high-velocity, ambiguous environments
  • Takes full technical ownership of complex systems
  • Willing to get into the weeds of mechanical, electrical, and software challenges
Nice to Have
  • PhD in Robotics or related field
  • Experience working on dual-use or DoD-related systems
  • Ability to obtain a government security clearance
  • Experience with safety-critical robotic systems
Growth Opportunities
  • Define the technical direction of robotics foundation model deployment in manufacturing
  • Build and lead the autonomy team
  • Shape the next generation of AI-driven assembly systems
  • Become a core technical interface with defense and industrial partners
Why Join Us?
This is one of the only places where world-class manufacturing operators, mechanical engineers, robotics researchers, and software engineers sit in the same room - building production systems together.
We are committed to being deeply embedded in the U.S. industrial base. Our focus is simple: build adaptive robotic assembly systems that make American manufacturing scalable, resilient, and competitive again.
If you want to publish papers, this may not be the role.
If you want to build and deploy the systems those papers were meant to enable - this is it.
The base salary range for this full-time position in the location of San Francisco is:
$150,000-$250,000 USD
Compensation packages at Foundry Robotics for eligible roles include base salary, equity, and benefits. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position, determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, interview performance, and relevant education or training. Foundry Robotics employees in eligible roles are also granted equity based compensation, subject to Board of Director approval. You'll also receive benefits including, but not limited to: Comprehensive health, dental and vision coverage, and generous PTO.

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