--- title: 'Assembly Operator Intern at RIVR' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/assembly-operator-intern-rivr-shanghai-r8bhjvf428q7' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Assembly Operator Intern at RIVR - **Company:** RIVR - **Location:** Shanghai, China - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/rivr/dc393c56-6d0f-4f4e-9de9-dab28475403c ## Job description RIVR, part of Amazon is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off, RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex, unstructured environments such as stairs, gates, doors, and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world, where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale. Following our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026, we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware, onboard autonomy, and cloud-based coordination, RIVR, part of Amazon is building the next generation of safe, reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery. ## What you’ll be doing - Assist in the daily maintenance and management of assembly tools and equipment under guidance. Learn to properly use tools and follow safety production rules and regulations to ensure workplace safety. - Follow work instruction documents and complete assigned assembly tasks under supervision. Learn to ensure assembly quality and understand the impact on subsequent testing procedures. - Learn to identify basic issues during assembly process. Report abnormalities to team members and assist in problem-solving under guidance. - Participate in workshop 5S management. Learn to maintain clean and organized workstations and properly store materials and tools. - Support the team with temporary tasks including prototype assembly assistance, basic test bench operation support and material inventory under supervision. ## What you must have - Currently pursuing a diploma/degree in mechanical manufacturing, mechatronics, electronic technology, or related fields. - Basic understanding of mechanical drawings; willingness to learn and improve - Some hands-on experience in mechanical/electrical assembly (from school projects, lab work, or part-time work is a plus). Eagerness to learn precision assembly skills. - Interest in learning about automation equipment; no prior experience required - Basic theoretical knowledge of circuits and mechanics from academic studies - Strong learning ability and motivation to master new assembly processes - Careful and responsible work attitude; willingness to follow work instructions and ensure work quality - Good team collaboration skills and willingness to comply with work arrangements - Adhere to safety standards and maintain strong safety awareness Get some bonus points - Any exposure to test bench operations in school labs or internships - Interest in inventory and material management - Any exposure to automation equipment (servo press, testing equipment, etc.) from studies or internships - Interest in learning professional robotic test bench operations - Currently pursuing or holding relevant basic certificates (e.g., electrician certificate) - Adaptable to fast-paced learning environment; curious about different aspects of assembly and testing work ## About RIVR ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: RIVR builds autonomous wheeled-legged robots powered by Physical AI to automate doorstep delivery, from the street to the door. - **Entity Type**: Private (acquired by Amazon in March 2026; previously venture-backed with $29M total funding) - **Headquarters**: Zurich, Switzerland - **Founded**: 2023 (originally as Swiss-Mile, rebranded to RIVR) - **Founders**: Marko Bjelonic (CEO), Lorenz Wellhausen (CTO Software), Giorgio Valsecchi (CTO Hardware), Alexander Reske (COO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Physical AI for last-mile delivery - **Target customers**: B2B – logistics providers, e‑commerce companies, grocery delivery services (e.g., Swiss Post, Migros Online) - **Mission**: “Pioneering Physical AI to revolutionize doorstep delivery” – combining neural networks with wheeled‑leg robots to master the last 100 yards of delivery. ## Products & Services - **RIVR ONE**: A wheeled‑legged delivery robot that climbs stairs, steps over curbs, opens gates, and carries multiple parcels/groceries securely. Equipped with cameras, LiDAR, and a robotic arm for dexterous manipulation. - **Physical AI Platform**: Reinforcement learning (simulated data + parallel GPU training) and supervised/imitation learning (real‑world data) that enable autonomous navigation and manipulation. A data flywheel collects teleoperation feedback to continuously improve autonomy. - **Global Operations Software**: Cloud infrastructure for fleet management, including 24/7 remote assistance and API integration for custom deployments. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (acquired by Amazon; prior valuation unknown) - **Key Metric**: Total funding raised – $29M (Seed round led by Bezos Expeditions and HSG, plus grants from Innosuisse) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Bezos Expeditions, HSG, Innosuisse; pilot partners include Swiss Post and Migros Online - **Growth Signals**: Acquired by Amazon in March 2026; already has customers requiring “tens of thousands of robots”; workforce of 48 employees with 12.2% monthly headcount growth; 19 active job postings as of mid‑2026 ## Competitive Advantages - **Wheeled‑leg design** offers 5× battery life and speed, and 10× coverage of traditional legged robots, while still climbing stairs and navigating uneven terrain. - **Data flywheel**: Each deployed robot generates real‑world data that feeds supervised and imitation learning, creating a self‑reinforcing improvement loop. RIVR claims it will generate more daily data than YouTube within four years. - **Full‑stack approach**: Proprietary learning algorithms, simulation environments, and hardware co‑design allow tight integration between AI and embodiment. - **Amazon backing**: Post‑acquisition, RIVR gains access to Amazon’s logistics network, resources, and scale, accelerating deployment. ## Strategic Focus - **General Physical AI**: RIVR’s long‑term vision is to build a general‑purpose Physical AI that can handle diverse real‑world tasks, using doorstep delivery as the initial catalyst. - **Scaling deployment**: Moving from pilot (Swiss Post/Migros) to mass production and global rollout, leveraging Amazon’s infrastructure. - **Talent acquisition**: Actively hiring senior AI engineers (reinforcement learning, imitation learning, VLA foundation models), hardware engineers, and robotics software specialists to grow the technical team. ## Why Work Here - **Cutting‑edge technology**: Work on Physical AI, reinforcement learning, and advanced robotics at the intersection of software and hardware. - **Zurich location**: Office and development lab in the heart of Zürich; relocation bonus offered. - **Compensation & perks**: Competitive, transparent salary; Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); annual performance‑based bonus; five weeks of vacation. - **Team & culture**: Work alongside top engineers from ETH Zurich, Amazon, Meta, and leading robotics labs. Flat hierarchy with a strong technical focus. - **Remote/hybrid policy**: On‑site presence expected (all current job postings are “On‑site – Full”); the robotics lab requires physical presence. - **Growth opportunity**: Being part of an Amazon‑owned company provides stability and resources while still operating with a startup‑like engineering intensity. ## Sources 1. [rivr.ai/careers](https://www.rivr.ai/careers) 2. [rivr.ai/about-rivr](https://www.rivr.ai/about-rivr) 3. [linkedin.com/company/rivr-technologies](https://linkedin.com/company/rivr-technologies) 4. [jobs.lever.co/rivr](https://jobs.lever.co/rivr) 5. [rivr.ai/technology](https://www.rivr.ai/technology) ## Other roles at RIVR - [Head of QA](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-qa-rivr-zurich-g0ewwjh70nk0) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Robotics Trade Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-trade-manager-rivr-zurich-d74taspy2ntw) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Hardware Engineering Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-engineering-intern-rivr-zurich-ebsfbd6aa885) — Zurich, Switzerland - [(Senior) Quality Assurance Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-quality-assurance-engineer-rivr-shanghai-6906w6grj552) — Shanghai, China - [Mechanical Engineer (Junior)](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-junior-rivr-zurich-7yj19pqvm17s) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Senior Software Engineer – Backend](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-backend-rivr-zurich-rh4k76q18at1) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Buyer](https://feeny.ai/job/buyer-rivr-shanghai-kcr16ee1a0zc) — Shanghai, China - [Hardware integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-integration-engineer-rivr-shanghai-xz2anwhe3xkz) — Shanghai, China - [Software Engineer – DevOps](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-devops-rivr-zurich-c3gv79vpnrfs) — Zurich, Switzerland - [Senior Mechanical Engineer – Power Electronics Packaging](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-power-electronics-packaging-rivr-zurich-gj6pw40dteg9) — Zurich, Switzerland