--- title: 'Helix AI Engineer, Localization and Mapping at Figure' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/helix-ai-engineer-localization-and-mapping-figure-san-jose-mespsy86v4da' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Helix AI Engineer, Localization and Mapping at Figure - **Company:** Figure - **Location:** San Jose, CA - **Posted:** 2026-07-13 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/figureai/jobs/4696533006 ## Job description Figure is on a mission to develop and deploy general purpose humanoid robots for corporate tasks targeting labor shortages and jobs that are undesirable or unsafe. We are looking for passionate and motivated superstars to grow our world-class team. We are based in Sunnyvale, CA and require 5 days/week in-office collaboration. It’s time to build. Figure’s vision is to deploy autonomous humanoids at a global scale. Our AI team is looking for Localization and Mapping Engineers to empower Figure humanoid robots to perform highly dynamic operations in demanding real-world environments. Responsibilities: - Architect and implement real-time localization, ego-motion tracking, and state estimation systems by fusing multi-modal sensor data (cameras, IMUs, encoders, magnetic sensors). - Build and maintain scalable, offline pose-tracking pipelines to process large-scale training data from diverse sources. - Develop and optimize multi-sensor calibration systems for humanoid robotics and data collection platforms. - Partner with cross-functional teams to build comprehensive, data-driven evaluation and testing frameworks. - Design, engineer, and deploy high-quality, reliable software solutions for real-world robotics applications. Required Qualifications: - Deep technical expertise in solving complex estimation and nonlinear optimization problems. - Strong command of 3D geometry, visual-inertial SLAM, and computer vision techniques, including feature matching/tracking, and Structure from Motion (SfM). - Experience writing performant C++ software. - Hands-on experience with sensor calibration (e.g., multi-camera and IMU intrinsics/extrinsics). - Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment that requires rapid exploration and iteration. - Passion for advancing humanoid robotics technology. Bonus Qualifications: - Experience implementing visual-inertial SLAM systems on legged robotic platforms. - Background in estimation problems related to human motion capture or AR/VR applications. - Experience applying state-of-the-art Deep Learning approaches to SLAM, 3D reconstruction, or human pose estimation. The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $200,000 - $400,000 The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended. ## About Figure ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Figure is an AI robotics company building the world's first commercially viable autonomous general-purpose humanoid robot. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C, $1.9B total funding) - **Headquarters**: San Jose, California, USA - **Founded**: 2022 - **Founders**: Brett Adcock ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: AI Robotics / Humanoid Robotics / Machinery Manufacturing - **Target customers**: Enterprise (manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, retail) and, in future iterations, consumer/home markets. - **Mission or purpose statement**: To bring a commercially viable general-purpose humanoid to market, making humans capable of more and addressing labor shortages. ## Products & Services - **Figure 03**: The latest generation humanoid robot, designed for the home and the world at scale. Features a softer look and feel, advanced hand dexterity, and an integrated battery in the torso. It is powered by the company's AI model, Helix. - **Helix / Helix 02**: Figure's in-house AI model for humanoid control. Helix 02 is described as their most powerful model to date, enabling the robot to perform complex tasks autonomously (e.g., using the whole body to do dishes end-to-end). - **F.02 Fleet**: The previous generation robot used in a real-world deployment with BMW, where it contributed to the production of 30,000 cars over 11 months, running 10 hours per day. - **BotQ**: Figure's manufacturing division, responsible for building the robots at scale. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company). Total funding is $1.9B. - **Key Metric**: Total Funding of $1,854,000,000. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Parkway Venture Capital (led Series A and Series C), Intel Capital (led Venture Round), Brett Adcock (led Seed Round). Key partner: BMW (11-month deployment). - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 128.8% YoY to 442 employees. Active job postings increased 223.5% YoY. The company is actively scaling its manufacturing arm (BotQ) and commercial operations. It operates in 12 countries. ## Competitive Advantages - **First-Mover in Commercial Humanoids**: Figure has a significant head start with a real-world, 11-month deployment at a major automaker (BMW), proving the technology's viability. - **Vertically Integrated AI & Hardware**: Unlike many competitors, Figure builds both the robot hardware and the AI software (Helix) in-house, creating a tightly integrated system. - **Massive Data Advantage**: Through its "Project Go-Big" and partnership with BMW, Figure is building the world's largest humanoid pretraining dataset, a critical moat in AI. - **Aggressive Talent Acquisition**: Has hired top talent from Tesla (60), Apple (34), Boston Dynamics (12), SpaceX (9), and others, concentrating deep expertise. ## Strategic Focus - **Commercial Deployment**: Scaling from pilot programs (BMW) to widespread commercial deployment across logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing. - **Home Market Entry**: The design of Figure 03 signals a clear strategic pivot toward the consumer/home market as the next major growth vector. - **AI Leadership**: Continued investment in the Helix AI model to achieve full autonomy and general-purpose capability. - **Manufacturing Scale**: Building out BotQ to mass-produce humanoid robots. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-Driven & High Impact**: The company is laser-focused on a singular, ambitious mission: "to build the most groundbreaking company on the planet." Work is described as being "in the trenches together." - **Culture of Speed & Fearlessness**: Core values include "Move Fast & Be Technically Fearless" and "Aggressively Optimistic." The environment is described as high-performance, with a "championship mindset." - **On-Site, Collaborative Environment**: Employees work from physical offices in San Jose, CA (HQ) and a secondary location in Sunnyvale. The culture emphasizes in-person collaboration. - **Generous Benefits**: Offers health insurance, generous parental leave, and family/childcare benefits. - **Massive Growth Trajectory**: With 110 open roles, explosive headcount growth, and a clear path to market, employees have significant opportunity for career growth and impact. - **Technical Challenges**: Work spans cutting-edge AI (reinforcement learning, perception, pretraining), hardware engineering (actuators, electrical, mechanical), and manufacturing at scale. ## Sources 1. [figure.ai](https://www.figure.ai/company) 2. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/figure-ai) 3. [Greenhouse Jobs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/figureai) 4. 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