--- title: 'Lead AI Research Engineer, Embodied Systems at RoboForce' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-ai-research-engineer-embodied-systems-roboforce-milpitas-9eftesae7n33' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Lead AI Research Engineer, Embodied Systems at RoboForce - **Company:** RoboForce - **Location:** Milpitas, CA - **Posted:** 2026-07-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/roboforce/jobs/5290821008 ## Job description ## Why RoboForce RoboForce is an AI robotics company developing Physical AI–powered Robo-Labor for dull, dirty, and dangerous work. The company's robots are engineered for demanding industrial environments, with a focus on real-world deployment and scalability. We are looking for a Lead AI Research Engineer, Embodied Systems to lead and own the engineering of the systems that turn embodied AI into real-world robot behavior. You will be the technical owner and lead for the full embodied systems stack — the onboard AI system, the data collection system, the teleoperation systems, and the on-robot reinforcement learning system — driving the direction hands-on and closing the loop between data, models, and action in the physical world. ## Responsibilities - Lead and own, from the engineering side, the embodied systems that power RoboForce's data flywheel — the onboard AI (inference) system, the data collection system, the teleoperation systems and the on-robot reinforcement learning system. - Set the technical direction and architecture for how learned models run, are evaluated, and improve on real robots. - Deliver these systems end-to-end on physical robots — from bring-up through reliable, real-time operation in demanding industrial environments. - Own on-robot deployment and closed-loop evaluation of policies, turning real-world performance into measurable improvements. - Partner with and influence the robotics software team and the ML research team to align interfaces and priorities across the stack. - Grow the direction — mentor engineers and raise the technical bar for embodied systems work. ## Requirements - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field with significant relevant experience, or a PhD degree. - Track record of leading complex robotic or embodied systems end-to-end and setting technical direction for other engineers. - Strong proficiency in both C++ and Python, with solid systems programming and real-time / performance-critical engineering skills. - Hands-on experience with ROS/ROS2 and robot middleware, including real-time integration of sensing, control, and compute. - Experience integrating and deploying ML models/policies into real-time robotic or autonomous systems — system ownership and building, rather than model training or research. - Requires 5 days/week in-office collaboration with the teams. Bonus Qualifications - Experience with teleoperation and data-collection systems (e.g., VR, UR, GELLO, UMI) and the challenges of collecting high-quality robot data at scale. - Experience with on-robot reinforcement learning or closed-loop policy-improvement systems. - Familiarity with robot learning policies (VLA, imitation learning, behavior cloning) and their real-time inference and control-integration characteristics. - Familiarity with manipulation stacks, whole-body control interfaces, or real-time middleware tuning. ## Benefits - Competitive stock options/equity programs. - Health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) plan. - Visa sponsorship and green card support for qualified candidates. - Lunches and dinners, a fully stocked kitchen, and regular team-building events. Compensation: Salary $190,000–$265,000 USD + Bonus + Equity The base salary range above represents the expected compensation for this full-time U.S. position. Final compensation will be determined based on role scope, level, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training, and may fall outside the listed range in exceptional cases. ## About RoboForce ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: RoboForce builds scalable, deployable Physical AI-powered Robo-Labor for demanding industrial environments such as mining, manufacturing, solar, data centers, and shipping. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage; total disclosed funding conflicting: $15M per LinkedIn vs. $52M per company website timeline) - **Headquarters**: Milpitas, California, United States - **Founded**: 2023 - **Founders**: Leo Ma (Founder & CEO) ## Core Business - Primary industry: Robotics Engineering (industrial automation, AI robotics) - Target customers: B2B, industrial enterprises in mining, manufacturing, solar energy, data centers, and shipping/logistics - Mission/purpose: “Robotics for Humanity” – solving human needs by extending human potential through Physical AI, automating “Dull, Dirty, Dangerous” work. ## Products & Services - **TITAN**: General-purpose AI robot for demanding industrial environments; multiple variants (TITAN-T launched, TITAN-W launched, TITAN prototype completed). - **Robo-Labor Workforce**: Deployable AI-powered robotic workforce for repetitive, precise, and heavy-duty workflows. - **RF-Net v1**: Robotic foundation network (AI/software layer for fleet learning). - **Market Solutions**: Tailored offerings for Solar (outdoor construction/inspection), Mining (hazardous environments), Manufacturing, Data Center (AI infrastructure operations), and Shipping (container movement/port logistics). ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed. - **Key Metric**: Total funding – conflicting reports: - $15.0M total (two Seed rounds in 2025, per LinkedIn) - $52M new funding (per company website timeline for 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: YZi Labs (lead), Myron Scholes, Gary Rieschel, Jerry Yang, Carnegie Mellon University. - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount: 32 employees (+168.8% YoY, per LinkedIn) - 10,000-unit robot LOI secured (2024) - First commercial pilot signed (2024) - New HQ office and WEF Technology Pioneer award (2026) - TITAN design v1 completion, prototype, and TITAN-W launch (2026) - Featured in Jensen Huang’s GTC keynote (AI-Centric Design highlight) ## Competitive Advantages - **AI-Centric Design**: Robots built to improve with every deployment; 3-5× improvement over existing solutions. - **Form-Factor Agnostic**: Focus on solving human needs rather than emulating human form – diverse hardware shapes optimized for specific tasks. - **Institutional Backing**: Founders and team from CMU, UMich, Amazon Robotics, Google, Waymo, Cruise, Tesla Robotics, ABB, Apple. - **Early Traction**: Pre-orders (LOI for 10,000 units) and commercial pilots already in place. ## Strategic Focus - Scale deployment of Robo-Labor across multiple industrial verticals (solar, mining, manufacturing, data centers, shipping). - Advance AI-native robotics through continuous fleet learning (RF-Net v1) and Nvidia ecosystem integration. - Expand physical infrastructure (new HQ) and grow engineering/AI research teams. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: “Imagination leads the way” and “Great robots built by great people” – emphasis on creativity, joy, and making life better through real tools. - **Work Model**: On-site in Milpitas, CA (all current open roles are in-office). - **Engineering Focus**: Heavy investment in AI, robotics software/hardware, and foundation models; roles span AI Research, Robotics Software, Hardware, and Data Operations. - **Trajectory**: Fast-growing startup (168% headcount growth YoY) with early revenue signals and top-tier backers; opportunity to work on cutting-edge Physical AI from the ground floor. ## Sources 1. [roboforce.ai](https://www.roboforce.ai/) 2. [roboforce.ai/about-us](https://www.roboforce.ai/about-us) 3. [roboforce.ai/careers](https://www.roboforce.ai/careers) 4. [linkedin.com/company/roboforce-ai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/roboforce-ai) 5. [greenhouse.io/roboforce](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/roboforce/jobs/4817535008) ## Other roles at RoboForce - [Creative Director, Video](https://feeny.ai/job/creative-director-video-roboforce-milpitas-h098q8a77xbp) — Milpitas, CA - [Head of People](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-people-roboforce-milpitas-qyrrvb6q5zg6) — Milpitas, CA - [AI Data Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/ai-data-operations-lead-roboforce-milpitas-nvye04zqdv5e) — Milpitas, CA - [Talent Acquisition Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/talent-acquisition-partner-roboforce-milpitas-ac13xex1bpet) — Milpitas, CA - [Senior Robotics Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-systems-engineer-roboforce-milpitas-rg91adejr733) — Milpitas, CA - [Lead AI Native Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-ai-native-engineer-roboforce-milpitas-dyfd5k3t8xv2) — Milpitas, CA - [Model Evaluation Operator- AI Robotics (Swing Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/model-evaluation-operator-ai-robotics-swing-shift-roboforce-milpitas-v5dmfwae6ft8) — Milpitas, CA - [Lead Software Engineer, AI & Robotics Test Infrastructure](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-software-engineer-ai-robotics-test-infrastructure-roboforce-milpitas-ywptctwnxkvx) — Milpitas, CA - [Finance and Accounting Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/finance-and-accounting-manager-roboforce-milpitas-chq7ndbk87v1) — Milpitas, CA - [Data Collection Operator- AI Robotics (Swing Shift)](https://feeny.ai/job/data-collection-operator-ai-robotics-swing-shift-roboforce-milpitas-z8peqx9kamc9) — Milpitas, CA