Research Scientist Robotics - New College Grad jobs at Nvidia in United States, Seattle

What you will be doing:

• 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.

What we need to see:

• 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 MuJoCo.

• 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.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• 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

What you will be doing:

• 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;

• 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 joining NVIDIA during their PhD programs.

What we need to see:

• Completing a PhD in Robotics, Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• A strong research track record, 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 programming skills in Python, as well as proficiency in modern deep learning frameworks (PyTorch or JAX), robotics frameworks (ROS or ROS2), and physics simulation frameworks (Isaac Sim/Lab or MuJoCo). Familiarity with C++, CUDA, and Warp is a plus.

• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with significant experience working on teams.

• 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 real-world communication systems; and designing robust workflows for model training and evaluation.

The following research areas and applications 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.