1.79 Sr. AI Research Engineer, Autonomous Systems & Robotics Research

FieldAI•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

FieldAI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. We build risk-aware, reliable, field-ready AI systems that tackle the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the potential of embodied intelligence. We take a pragmatic approach that goes beyond off-the-shelf, purely data-driven methods or transformer-only architectures, combining cutting-edge research with real-world deployment. Our solutions are already deployed globally, and we continuously improve model performance through rapid iteration driven by real field use. In Pittsburgh, we’re pushing the frontier of embodied intelligence by designing robot learning systems that scale across tasks, environments, and robot embodiments. We work on robotics foundation models, from vision and language to control, and we deploy what we build on real robots solving real problems in unstructured, real-world settings. We are looking for a Sr. AI Research Engineer to help design, build, and deploy robust autonomous robotic systems operating in complex real-world environments. In this role, you will take a systems-level view of robotics, integrating perception, planning, control, and learning into reliable, field-ready autonomy stacks. This role is ideal for someone with deep experience in robotics systems engineering who enjoys working across the full stack, from algorithms to hardware integration and field deployment. You will play a key role in turning research ideas into scalable robotic capabilities and shaping how advanced autonomy is delivered on real robots.

Requirements

BS, MS, or PhD in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
7+ years of experience building and deploying robotics systems in real-world settings.
Strong foundation in robotics fundamentals including kinematics, dynamics, control, and state estimation.
Hands-on experience integrating autonomy software with real robotic hardware.
Proficiency in C++ and/or Python, with experience in robotics middleware (ROS, ROS 2, or similar).
Proven ability to debug complex system-level issues.
Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate independently in ambiguous environments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with field robotics or safety-critical autonomous systems.
Familiarity with learning-enabled autonomy and sim-to-real workflows.
Background in manipulation, mobile robotics, or multi-sensor perception.
Experience deploying systems at scale or supporting long-running robotic operations.
Track record of technical leadership or mentorship.
Contributions to open-source robotics software.

Responsibilities

Build and Integrate Robotics Systems
Design and implement core robotics systems spanning perception, state estimation, planning, and control.
Integrate learning-based components with classical robotics pipelines.
Own system-level behavior and performance on real robotic platforms.
Deploy and Operate in the Real World
Lead deployment and validation of robotic systems in unstructured environments.
Debug complex interactions between hardware, software, and autonomy.
Improve robustness, safety, and reliability through iterative field testing.
Collaborate Across Disciplines
Work closely with research scientists to transition algorithms into production-ready systems.
Partner with mechanical and electrical engineers on hardware integration.
Collaborate with field teams to understand operational constraints and requirements.
Drive Technical Execution
Lead technical design reviews and contribute to architecture decisions.
Mentor junior engineers and help raise the bar for engineering quality.
Balance near-term delivery with longer-term system improvements.
Advance Field-Ready Autonomy
Contribute to autonomy capabilities such as traversability, navigation, manipulation, and recovery behaviors.
Help define evaluation metrics and testing strategies for real-world performance.