Robotics Research Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Join our Frontier AI & Robotics team to lead the hardware integration of next-generation robotic systems that will transform how robots perceive and interact with the world. You'll take ownership of critical hardware components, from advanced actuators to precision sensors, ensuring they work seamlessly together to support breakthrough AI research and real-world deployment.
Key job responsibilities
- Prototype Lab Leadership - Lead & develop a cross-functional technician team supporting robotic prototype hardware; own daily priorities, team KPIs, and risk communication to FAR leadership. Serve as the technical escalation point for the lab.
- Assembly, Integration & DFx ownership - Assemble & integrate robotic hardware (actuators, sensors, vision, machined components). Build assembly processes and test protocols with hardware engineering. Drive DFM/DFA feedback and own simple mechanical/electrical design tasks, lead integration/debug, and partner with engineers to optimize manufacturability and testability.
- Own R&D prototype test & validation - Validate hardware revisions, verify mechanical assemblies, power sequencing, comms interfaces, and peripherals during bring-up.
- Build a strong debugging & failure analysis function - Troubleshoot & root-cause across the full robot platform (power, compute, comms, actuators, sensors); hands-on for complex issues, directing the team on routine ones. Conduct failure analysis from component to system level using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and multimeters; train technicians on diagnostic techniques. Reproduce critical failures, interpret schematics, and bridge communication between the lab and engineering teams.
- Own lab technical documentation - Own documentation & quality - author runbooks, FA reports, assembly guides and troubleshooting guides; mentor the team to maintain consistent standards.
- Own mechanical design for the lab - Own mechanical design technician output. Oversee technicians performing simple R&D design tasks and test fixture design, ensuring quality and alignment with engineering priorities.
- Manage prototyping lab operations - oversee machine shop capabilities and quality, equipment/inventory, vendor coordination, and safety/regulatory compliance.
- Build additional lab capabilities - develop test methodologies, design jigs/fixtures, implement HIL testing, and streamline failure-to-resolution workflows.
A day in the life
Your focus centers on the hardware that powers our advanced robotic platforms. You'll lead a strong robotics technician and lab engineering team to support high degrees of freedom (DoF) robotic hardware prototype assembly and validation. Your team will be responsible for building, debugging and validating prototype hardware, critical component and assembly quality assessments, providing DFM/DFA feedback to engineers and designing test jigs and test set-ups. You'll manage responsibilities like quality inspections of incoming parts, one-on-ones with technicians, and coordinating machine shop operations. Throughout the day, you balance leading your team through complex assemblies and integration testing while also handling urgent prototyping requests, documentation updates, and planning for upcoming milestones. You're switching between working at the bench alongside your technicians, collaborating in design reviews with engineers, and ensuring lab safety and equipment maintenance.
About the team
At Frontier AI & Robotics, we're not just advancing robotics - we're reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through frontier foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios.
What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon's computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence - from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We're building systems that don't just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon's global operations.
Join us if you're excited about pushing the boundaries of what's possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field
- 7+ years of hands-on experience with robotic systems integration, including actuators, sensors (force/torque, IMUs, encoders), and embedded systems
- 3+ years of experience leading and mentoring technical teams in laboratory or prototype development environments
- Proficiency with hardware troubleshooting and root cause analysis using diagnostic equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, signal analyzers)
- Deep understanding of electromechanical systems including power distribution, communication buses (CAN, EtherCAT, RS-485), and sensor integration
- Proven track record developing assembly procedures, test protocols, and technical documentation for prototype hardware
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and system architecture diagrams
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of experience in robotics hardware development, hardware integration, or related work within advanced robotic systems, research institutions, or high-performance engineering environments
- Extensive experience designing, integrating, and troubleshooting high degree of freedom robotic systems, including actuators, force/torque sensors, inertial measurement units, encoders, vision systems, and associated control hardware
- Operational experience with robotic control systems, including performance monitoring, hardware health diagnostics, and data-driven analysis of robotic system behavior during testing and deployment
- Hands-on experience in robotics labs, hardware test facilities, or hardware integration environments, including familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop testing methodologies and robotic system acceptance test procedures
- Proven track record fostering a culture of innovation, quality, and continuous improvement within technical teams
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company's reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets. The base pay for this position ranges from $150,000/year in our lowest geographic market up to $300,000/year in our highest geographic market. Pay is based on a number of factors, including market location, and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Amazon is a total compensation company. Dependent on the position offered, equity, sign-on payments, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. For more information, please visit https://www.aboutamazon.com/workplace/employee-benefits. Applicants should apply via our internal or external career site.