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Robotics Startup Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Hikinex

Vice President, Robot Learning

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

... Robotics Startup | San Francisco Bay Area, CA About the Opportunity We're partnering with an ambitious early-stage robotics company building the next generation of humanoid telepresence systems for ...

HIKINEX

Vice President, Robot Learning

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

... Robotics Startup | San Francisco Bay Area, CA About the Opportunity We're partnering with an ambitious early-stage robotics company building the next generation of humanoid telepresence systems for ...

Atoms

Senior Product Manager - Growth

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$150K - $198K/yr

Atoms is a robotics startup that develops industrial robotics and physical AI systems to automate tasks across various industries. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, USA ...

Atoms

Staff Cluster Infrastructure Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$126K - $166K/yr

Atoms is a robotics startup that develops industrial robotics and physical AI systems to automate tasks across various industries. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, USA ...

Teleo

Senior Full Stack Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

Teleo is a robotics startup disrupting a trillion-dollar industry, converting construction heavy equipment into autonomous robots. The role involves owning and professionalizing Teleo's full-stack ...

Xdof

Technical Program Manager

San Francisco, CA

$152K - $196K/yr

Collaboration with top‑tier engineers, researchers, and product experts in AI and robotics * Startup culture prioritising speed, transparency, and minimal bureaucracy

Atoms

Product Manager Growth

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Atoms is a robotics startup that develops industrial robotics and physical AI systems to automate tasks across various industries. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, USA ...

Atoms

Senior Backend Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

Atoms is a robotics startup that develops industrial robotics and physical AI systems to automate tasks across various industries. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Los Angeles, USA ...

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All JobsRobotics Startup JobsRobotics Startup Jobs in California

Robotics Startup information

What is a robotics startup?

A Robotics Startup job involves working in an early-stage company focused on developing robotic technologies. Roles vary widely, including engineering, software development, product management, and business development. Employees often wear multiple hats, contributing to both technical and strategic aspects. The work environment is fast-paced, requiring innovation, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. It's an opportunity to build cutting-edge robotics solutions while growing with the company.

What are some of the key challenges faced when working at a robotics startup?

At a robotics startup, you’ll often face challenges such as navigating rapid prototyping cycles, balancing hardware and software integration issues, and adapting quickly to shifting project priorities. Teams are usually small and highly collaborative, so you may need to wear multiple hats and contribute outside your primary area of expertise. Additionally, limited resources and tight timelines can require creativity and resilience. Overcoming these challenges offers valuable experience, growth opportunities, and the chance to make a significant impact on the company’s success and product innovation.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in a robotics startup, and why are they important?

To thrive in a robotics startup, you need a strong background in engineering, computer science, or robotics, as well as practical experience in hardware and software integration. Familiarity with industry-standard tools such as ROS (Robot Operating System), CAD software, embedded systems, and possibly certifications in machine learning or automation is often expected. Problem-solving, creativity, adaptability, and effective communication are critical soft skills in this fast-evolving field. These capabilities are vital because startups require innovative thinking, multidisciplinary collaboration, and the agility to rapidly develop and iterate products.

What are the most commonly searched types of Robotics Startup jobs in California?

The most popular types of Robotics Startup jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Robotics Startup jobs in California?

For Robotics Startup jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Robotics Startup jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Robotics Startup jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Robotics Startup jobs?

Cities in California with the most Robotics Startup job openings:

Robotics Startup jobs near you
Infographic showing various Robotics Startup job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 79% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 18% Remote job distribution.

Vice President, Robot Learning

Hikinex

Palo Alto, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 4 days ago

Job description

Vice President, Robot Learning
Confidential | Early-Stage Robotics Startup | San Francisco Bay Area, CA
About the Opportunity
We're partnering with an ambitious early-stage robotics company building the next generation of humanoid telepresence systems for industrial work.
The company's mission is to make dangerous, highly skilled physical work safer and more accessible by enabling expert operators to remotely control humanoid robots with real-time visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. These systems are deployed in complex environments including energy infrastructure, industrial facilities, manufacturing, and other hazardous settings.
A core part of the long-term vision is transforming teleoperation data into increasingly autonomous robotic capabilities. Rather than treating teleoperation as a temporary solution, the company views it as the foundation for building high-quality robot learning systems based on real-world interaction, force feedback, and task execution.
This is an opportunity to define the robot learning strategy at a company where machine learning is central to the product roadmap.
The Role
We're seeking a Vice President of Robot Learning to lead the company's robot learning organization and own the roadmap from teleoperation data collection through to learned policies and increasing levels of autonomy.
This is a highly technical leadership role for someone who enjoys building from first principles, working closely with hardware and software teams, and translating cutting-edge robotics research into production systems.
You'll have the opportunity to shape both the technical direction and the team as the company scales.
What You'll Do
  • Own the robot learning strategy and technical roadmap.
  • Build the data pipeline that transforms teleoperation sessions into high-quality training data.
  • Develop learning systems for contact-rich robotic manipulation using real-world demonstrations.
  • Design and deploy imitation learning, reinforcement learning, and policy optimization approaches for physical robots.
  • Work closely with robotics, controls, perception, and hardware engineers to build an integrated robotic system.
  • Lead the evolution from teleoperated workflows toward progressively autonomous capabilities.
  • Build, mentor, and grow a world-class robot learning organization.
  • Establish technical direction, research priorities, and engineering best practices.
  • Drive experimentation, deployment, and continuous improvement using real-world operational data.

What We're Looking For
Required
  • PhD or equivalent expertise in Robotics, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field.
  • Significant experience building robot learning systems for real-world robotic manipulation.
  • Deep expertise in imitation learning, reinforcement learning, policy learning, or related techniques.
  • Experience working with physical robots rather than purely simulated environments.
  • Strong understanding of contact-rich manipulation, force feedback, and real-world robotic control.
  • Track record of shipping robotics systems from research into production.
  • Experience leading highly technical teams or serving as the technical leader for a major robotics initiative.

Preferred
Experience from leading robotics organizations or research groups such as:
  • OpenAI Robotics
  • Google DeepMind Robotics
  • Physical Intelligence
  • Toyota Research Institute
  • Figure AI
  • Agility Robotics
  • Covariant
  • Skild AI
  • Sanctuary AI
  • Dexterity
  • Intrinsic
  • Boston Dynamics
  • Other leading manipulation or humanoid robotics companies

Particularly valuable experience includes:
  • Learning from teleoperation or human demonstrations
  • Building commercial robot learning data pipelines
  • Manipulation in contact-rich environments
  • Haptic interfaces or force-controlled robotics
  • Multi-modal learning using vision, force, and proprioception
  • Scaling robot learning infrastructure across fleets

Who You Are
  • Builder-first with a passion for deploying robotics in the real world.
  • Comfortable operating in an early-stage, fast-moving environment.
  • Excited by ambiguous technical problems with significant ownership.
  • Able to balance long-term research vision with near-term product execution.
  • Motivated by building a team, not just contributing individually.
  • Collaborative, hands-on, and deeply technical.

Why Join
  • Define the robot learning strategy from an early stage.
  • Build systems that operate in challenging, real-world industrial environments.
  • Work across hardware, controls, perception, and AI to solve end-to-end robotics problems.
  • Help shape the future of intelligent humanoid robotics.
  • Significant technical ownership with the opportunity to build and lead a high-impact organization.

Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California (onsite)
Employment Type: Full-time
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About Hikinex

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Hikinex is a multi-channel integrated service provider designed to help Companies scale fast and drive more profit. We leverage diverse resources to provide Superior services at a fraction of the cost.

Industry

Strategic planning consulting services

Company size

51 - 200 Employees

Headquarters location

San Francisco, CA, US

Year founded

2016

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