--- title: 'Robotics Trade Manager at RIVR' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-trade-manager-rivr-zurich-d74taspy2ntw' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Robotics Trade Manager at RIVR - **Company:** RIVR - **Location:** Zurich, Switzerland - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/rivr/142f9405-9a64-4f4f-9a37-bec931a1a303 ## 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 Job Description Robotics Trade & Supply Chain Compliance (RTSCC) is looking for a trade compliance professional with strong operational leadership capabilities to take full ownership of import/export compliance for RIVR. We are looking for an experienced, hands-on execution-focused Robotics Trade Manager, RIVR to design, implement and monitor trade compliance processes- balancing regulatory rigor with the speed and scale our business demands. You will be responsible for developing and executing cross-border compliance strategies to meet evolving regulatory requirements. This includes leading the design and implementation of scalable compliance controls, identifying and acting on opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce risk, and driving both tactical and strategic initiatives. As a single-threaded leader, you'll coordinate efforts across teams, balancing the intricacies of global trade regulations with practical, innovative solutions. Your work will involve regular collaboration with a broad network of partners, including Technology, Procurement, Compliance Operations, Legal, Tax, and Public Policy teams. The ideal candidate possesses deep functional knowledge of international customs regulations, tariff classifications, and export controls, combined with the project management skills needed to turn complex regulations into frictionless trade workflows. ## What you’ll be doing - Develop and implement comprehensive import and export compliance programs across multiple countries and regions - Partner with Amazon's regional teams to execute, drive, and enforce import/export processes across dedicated lanes, identifying opportunities for automation and technology enablement - Research and analyze trade requirements and regulatory obligations for new and existing markets - Work cross-functionally to help achieve execution against regulatory requirements and internal policies - Deep dive complex regulator topics including customs valuation, duty mitigation, various supply chain models and complex trade barriers (product compliance, licenses, encryption and certification) - Drive compliance program integration with RIVR business teams and supply chain - Interface with cross-functional teams including Legal, Tax, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, and Engineering - Build and deliver training programs to enable business teams on trade compliance requirements - Educate leadership on the appropriate execution of compliance requirements - Manage day-to-day international shipping logistics, working with freight forwarders and customs brokers to troubleshoot and resolve cross-border documentation discrepancies and clearing holds swiftly. This is a temporary need until another team member is onboarded to cover this function. ## What you must have - Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, International Business, Logistics, Law, or a related analytical or regulatory field. - 6+ years of professional experience managing global trade compliance or import/export operations, preferably within a hardware manufacturing or high-tech sector. - Strong written and verbal communication skills in English, with a proven ability to present complex regulatory or supply chain data clearly to technical teams and business leadership. Get some bonus points - Deep operational understanding of Chinese export procedures and supply chain logistics mechanics. - Experience setting up temporary import/export programs (e.g., ATA Carnets, inward/outward processing) for international R&D testing and prototyping. - Proven track record of operating independently in an ambiguous environment—turning high-level supply chain challenges into structured operational solutions. - Familiarity with automated trade compliance tools or enterprise resource planning (ERP) global trade management modules. ## 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 - [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 - [Assembly Operator Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/assembly-operator-intern-rivr-shanghai-r8bhjvf428q7) — 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