Research Scientist, Robot Learning at Physical Intelligence (San Francisco)
Job Description
Physical Intelligence (Pi) is hiring research scientists at all levels in machine learning and robotics. The ad is short and direct: it wants people with excellent research results who combine strong fundamentals with strong implementation skills, and who have both built systems and made conceptual, algorithmic or theoretical advances. It explicitly welcomes academic researchers and people with unconventional backgrounds.
At a glance
- Role: Research Scientist (all levels)
- Field: Machine learning and robotics
- Location: San Francisco
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 14 October 2026)
What you would do
- Carry out research on foundation models and learning algorithms for robots
- Build the systems needed to test ideas on real robots
- Make conceptual, algorithmic or theoretical advances in robot learning
- Work with Pi’s engineers, roboticists and deployment teams
Why this role matters
Robot foundation models aim to do for physical tasks what large language models did for text: one model, trained on data from many robots, that can learn new tasks quickly. Pi is one of the best-funded companies pursuing this, and its small research team works directly on the models and the real robots, so a researcher’s ideas are tested quickly in the physical world rather than only in simulation.
What Physical Intelligence is looking for
- An excellent research record in machine learning and robotics
- Strong fundamentals and strong implementation skills
- A record of both system-building and research advances
Nice to have
- Experience with large-scale models for robot control
Pay and location
Physical Intelligence does not list pay in this posting.
How to apply
Apply through the official Physical Intelligence job posting. Physical Intelligence’s posting does not give a closing date, so the role is open until filled; ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 14 October 2026. Check the posting for location and work-authorisation details before you apply.
See all our artificial intelligence jobs, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Physical Intelligence
Official advertisement: jobs.ashbyhq.com
How to prepare for this application
- Show both sides: the ad asks for systems you built and ideas you advanced; give one strong example of each.
- Real robots: experiments on hardware carry more weight than simulation alone.
- Unconventional paths welcome: if your background is unusual, explain what you built.
- Read Pi's papers: be ready to discuss their published robot foundation models.
About Physical Intelligence
Physical Intelligence (Pi) is a San Francisco company building general-purpose foundation models and learning algorithms for robots, so that one model can control many kinds of machines and learn many tasks. Its team includes well-known researchers in robot learning.
