---
title: 'AI Researcher - Robot Learning at 1X'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/ai-researcher-robot-learning-1x-san-carlos-bbbr6zsadj23'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-08'
---

# AI Researcher - Robot Learning at 1X

- **Company:** [1X](https://feeny.ai/companies/1x)
- **Location:** San Carlos, CA
- **Compensation:** $200k–$300k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-06-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/1x/a5ad1287-e0a0-471d-9a65-cc24c62b6664/application

**Skills:** Python, C++, PyTorch, Reinforcement Learning, PPO, SAC, TD-MPC, Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Bazel, Model-based RL, World-model-guided policy learning, Imitation learning, Behavior cloning, GAIL, IQL, Legged locomotion, Dexterous manipulation, Contact-rich control

> Own the full pipeline from RL algorithm development through production deployment for humanoid robots. Train and deploy reinforcement learning policies for manipulation and locomotion tasks, closing the sim-to-real gap and shipping reliable skills to home environments.

## Job description

## About 1X

We're building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it's not. To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you're inspired by this, you'll thrive here. We've been at this since 2014 and we're at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us. NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We're not demoing it - we're shipping it. We're excited to meet you, if this excites you. If you've spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We're scaling, we're hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

## About the Team

The Motion team enables NEO to move through and interact with the world. We build the perception NEO needs to understand its surroundings and locomote through any environment, and the control that lets it use its whole body to accomplish real tasks - crawling, bracing, climbing, lifting with more than just its arms. Because NEO operates around people, safe and compliant motion is a design constraint on everything we ship, not a feature layered on top.

## Your Charter

Own the full pipeline from RL algorithm development through production deployment: training NEO on manipulation and locomotion tasks in simulation, closing the sim-to-real gap, and shipping policies that work reliably in real-world environments. This is critical-path work: the range of tasks NEO can perform safely and reliably is a direct function of the quality of RL policies your team ships. You will collaborate closely with the hardware and world model teams, and measure your impact by what NEO can do in the field.

## Key Outcomes

- Train and deploy RL policies for manipulation and locomotion tasks that perform reliably in real-world home environments measured by field task success rates, not just simulation benchmarks
- Advance sim-to-real transfer techniques that measurably narrow the gap between simulation training performance and real-world policy behavior, enabling faster iteration cycles
- Build training and evaluation infrastructure that lets the team iterate on policies faster with standardized benchmarks, automated regression detection, and clear connections between training metrics and field performance
- Partner with hardware, controls, data, and QA teams to ship RL-trained skills to production customer sites, owning the handoff from research to deployment

## Key Competencies

- Sim-to-real practitioner closing the sim-to-real gap on physical systems; understands domain randomization, reward shaping, and the engineering required to make simulated policies transfer reliably to real hardware
- RL algorithms depth with strong foundation in RL algorithms (PPO, SAC, TD-MPC, or similar); can choose the right approach for the task and modify or extend it when standard methods fall short
- Full-stack ownership owning data engineering, model architecture, and deployment; treats a promising training curve as the beginning of the job, not the end
- Effective cross-functional partner working closely with hardware, controls, QA, and data teams to translate RL research into deployed robot skills, and communicates technical constraints clearly across disciplines

## Minimum Requirements

- Strong Python and/or C++ with experience in large codebases and build tools (Bazel or equivalent)
- Proficiency with PyTorch for RL policy training and experimentation
- Hands-on experience with simulation platforms (Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, or equivalent) for policy training at scale
- Demonstrated experience training RL policies for manipulation or locomotion tasks, including addressing the sim-to-real gap on physical hardware

## Preferred Skills

- Experience with model-based RL or world-model-guided policy learning that leverages predictive models to improve sample efficiency
- Familiarity with imitation learning or learning from demonstration (behavior cloning, GAIL, IQL) as a complement or bootstrap to RL
- Experience deploying RL-trained policies to physical robots in production environments, including monitoring, failure analysis, and iterative improvement
- Background in legged locomotion, dexterous manipulation, or contact-rich control for physical systems

## Compensation

- Salary Range: $200,000 - $300,000 + Equity

## Benefits

- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
- 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
- Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
- Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
- Onsite snacks and catered lunches

## Equal Opportunity Employer

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

## About 1X

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: 1X develops general-purpose humanoid robots for home and industrial environments, combining AI and hardware to automate everyday tasks.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B funding stage)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015
- **Founders**: Bernt Øyvind Børnich

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Artificial Intelligence
- **Target customers**: B2C (home consumers via NEO) and B2B/Enterprise (industrial tasks via EVE)
- **Mission**: Build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously, allowing humans to focus on what they love.

## Products & Services
- **NEO**: A friendly home humanoid robot designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life and handle chores. Currently in early access after the NEO Beta (2024) and NEO Gamma (2025) iterations. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **EVE**: A wheeled industrial humanoid deployed in factories worldwide for autonomous industrial tasks. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **Revo1**: A high-torque-to-weight drive servo motor inspired by human tendon actuation, used in 1X robots. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
- **1X World Model**: A physics-grounded video model that enables NEO to learn autonomously from text or voice commands. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $169M as of mid-2026, with a $100M Series B led by EQT Ventures in January 2024. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: EQT Ventures (lead), plus other investors in secondary rounds. Acquired Kind Humanoid in January 2025. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Headcount grew 121.2% YoY to 394 employees. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - Full-scale production of NEO began in Hayward, CA, with capacity to build 10,000 units per year. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - New Palo Alto HQ consolidated teams from Sunnyvale and Moss, Norway. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
  - Appointed Mohi Khansari as Head of Robot Learning (January 2026) and Vikram Kothari as VP of Operations (August 2025). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertical integration**: Owns manufacturing in Hayward (U.S.) and Moss (Norway), controlling the full production stack.
- **Proprietary hardware**: Revo1 servo motor offers world-leading torque-to-weight ratio, enabling flexible, low-gear-ratio robotics.
- **AI-first approach**: The 1X World Model allows robots to learn physical tasks via simulation and self-supervised video prediction, reducing need for manual programming.
- **Early home deployment**: NEO is one of the first humanoid robots entering private homes, giving 1X real-world data and feedback loops.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling NEO production and expanding early access to more households across the U.S.
- Enhancing AI capabilities through the World Model and reinforcement learning (e.g., Redwood mobility controller).
- Building a robust supply chain and service network for home robots.
- Continuing enterprise deployments of EVE while shifting emphasis to the consumer market.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Fast-paced, mission-driven environment focused on building humanoid robots that coexist with humans. Strong emphasis on AI, hardware, and real-world impact.
- **Work model**: Likely on-site for hardware and AI roles (multiple offices in Palo Alto, San Carlos, Sunnyvale, Hayward, and Moss). Some software roles may offer flexibility.
- **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge robotics and AI, contribute to a product (NEO) that is already entering homes, and be part of a rapidly scaling company with strong funding.
- **Engineering culture**: High concentration of talent from Tesla, Apple, Google, and SpaceX. Active research in biomechanics, reinforcement learning, and simulation. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)
- **Open roles**: 65+ positions listed on the careers page across AI, hardware, software, operations, and manufacturing. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers)

## Sources
1. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about)
2. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies)

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