Job Details

Overview

Machine Learning Research Engineer - Robotics. Scale's Robotics business unit focuses on solving the data bottleneck in Physical AI. This role contributes to applied research in Robotics and develops ML pipelines for training and fine-tuning on Scale data, with opportunities to advance robotic research, shape Scale's robotics offerings, and expand Robotics data and model evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Robotics customers to drive industry progress in using Scale data for robotics
• Develop ML pipelines to train and fine-tune models using Scale's data
• Conduct research on robotics data collection, cross-embodiment training, and policy fine-tuning
• Develop novel methods for evaluating VLA models, including new robotics industry benchmarks
• Partner with cross-functional stakeholders and Scale's customers to improve data collection
• Collaborate with product teams to bring ML outcomes to Scale's platform

Qualifications

• Practical experience building training VLA models and/or building robotics data
• 3+ years of relevant industry experience in robotics, computer vision, embodied AI, sim-to-real, imitation learning, reinforcement learning, and vision-language actions models
• PhD or equivalent experience in Machine Learning or Robotics
• A track record of published research in robotics
• Experience conducting data collection and performing evaluations
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work with cross-functional teams and customers
• Intellectual curiosity, empathy, and ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy

Nice to have

• Experience working with robotics hardware platforms (robotic arms, perception systems, etc.)
• Experience deploying machine learning models on robotic systems in the field
• Experience with teleoperated or human-driven data for robotics (ALOHA, UMI, hand tracking, etc.)

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation packages include base salary, equity, and benefits. The base salary range for this full-time position in San Francisco is $208,000—$260,000 USD. Benefits include comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage, retirement benefits, a learning and development stipend, and generous PTO. Additional benefits such as a commuter stipend may be available. The company may share salary ranges and eligibility for equity during the hiring process.

Note: Our policy requires a 90-day waiting period before reconsidering candidates for the same role.

About Us

At Scale, we believe the transition from traditional software to AI is a significant shift. Our mission is to accelerate AI adoption across industries. We power the world's most advanced LLMs, generative models, and computer vision models and work with a broad range of customers and partners. We are committed to an inclusive and equal opportunity workplace and to reasonable accommodations in the recruitment process.