Principal Research Scientist, Robotics

Position Summary: Samsung Research America is looking for a Principal Research Scientist with solid technical skills and rich academic and/or industry experience in the area of robot reasoning. Our ideal candidate explores novel AI technologies towards generalizing robots to perform tasks in the real world and is passionate at pursuing technology patenting and publication. Samsung’s unique advantage in the consumer electronics market and growing focus on AI and robotics will provide you with exciting technical challenges and a rewarding career experience.

By leveraging Samsung’s vast product ecosystem to deliver novel user experiences, your work will define Samsung’s future in robotics and significantly impact real-world users.

Candidates with additional experience are encouraged to apply in and will be considered for other opportunities.

• Conduct ambitious, state-of-the-art research that pushes the boundaries of long-horizon robot autonomy. Areas of expertise include task-and-motion planning (TAMP), agentic robotics, vision language models (VLMs), open-world 3D perception, world models, locomanipulation, and multimodal (vision, tactile, audio, semantic) data fusion
• Lead a team of researchers and engineers to design and implement research prototypes and technology demonstrators on robotic platforms
• Work within cross-functional, cross-divisional teams and assist in the design, analysis and performance evaluation from concept to completion
• Provide technical leadership and assist in shaping R&D priorities by following up-to-date scientific research and communicating key developments
• Establish cooperative projects with universities and startups to investigate topics that explore the frontiers of knowledge and/or deliver unique advantages in key technologies
• Generate patents and scientific research papers for top-tier publication venues

• PhD degree in CS/EE/Robotics, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 11+ years’ post-graduate experience conducting state-of-the-art robotics R&D
• Strong research track-record including multiple first-author publications at top-tier venues in robotics or related fields, e.g., CoRL, ICRA, RAL, RSS, CVPR, ICML, NeurIPS
• Comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of robotics, machine learning, planning, and computer vision
• Demonstrated experience implementing and testing complex integrated behaviors on simulated and real robots
• Knowledgeable of tools and processes for ML model development, tuning, evaluation, and deployment
• Familiarity with PyTorch, TensorFlow, C++, ROS, and CUDA
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent verbal communication and writing skills to effectively represent the derived results and technical concepts developed in the course of the work

Special Attributes

• Thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Contribute in a team-oriented environment, while driving your own agenda
• Prioritize multiple tasks in order to consistently meet deadlines
• Creatively solve problems in an analytical environment
• Resilience to overcome hurdles and address failures with alternative paths
• Adapt quickly to new environments, people, technologies and processes
• High caliber presentation skills with the ability to adapt message to the audience and situation
• Generate ideas while understanding and incorporating different points of view
• Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally (10%)

Our total rewards programs are designed to motivate and engage exceptional talent. The base pay range for roles at this level is listed below, but may be higher or lower in other states due to geographic differentials in the labor market. Within the base pay range, individual rates depend on a number of factors—including the role’s function and location as well as the individual’s knowledge, skills, experience, education and training. This is part of our comprehensive compensation package with annual bonus eligibility and generous benefits to help you live life well.

Samsung has a strict policy on trade secrets. In applying to Samsung and progressing through the recruitment process, you must not disclose any trade secrets of a current or previous employer.

This position will be performed in an office setting. The position will require the incumbent to sit and stand at a desk, communicate in person and by telephone, and frequently operate standard office equipment, such as telephones and computers.

$242,500—$376,650 USD

Additional Information

Lab Summary: The Robot Intelligence Lab at Samsung Research America is a new facility dedicated to advancing the field of robotics through cutting-edge research and development. The lab’s mission is to develop advanced technologies to power intelligent robotic systems capable of manipulation, navigation, and complex reasoning for a variety of high-impact application areas. To achieve this mission, the lab collaborates closely with external entities such as universities, startups, and government labs, as well as with several Samsung Product and Advanced Research labs.