What are the responsibilities and job description for the Founding Research Engineer position at Reval Recruiting?
This is a role posted by Reval Recruiting on behalf of a client
Founding Research Engineer
Location: New York, NY, US
This role is posted on behalf of the following client: They are an AI robotics startup founded by two former Googlers, redefining how robots learn and interact with the world. Their embodied AI platform enables industrial robots to learn like humans—using natural language. With their breakthrough approach, anyone can teach robots new skills simply by talking to them, enabling rapid and reliable deployment of new behaviors in production. Backed by top-tier investors and already working with leading global partners such as ABB, they are pioneering the fusion of generative AI and robotics to unlock a new era of intelligent automation.
Role Overview
They are seeking a Founding Research Engineer to join their core founding team and lead the development of the next generation of robot intelligence. This is a hands-on, high-impact role at the intersection of machine learning, generative AI, and robotics, where you’ll design, implement, and deploy models that enable robots to understand, learn, and act through natural language. You will play a foundational role in shaping the company’s technology roadmap, architecture, and research direction while collaborating closely with the founders to bring groundbreaking ideas to production.
What You'll Do
- Conduct cutting-edge research in embodied AI, transformers, diffusion models, and other frontier ML architectures
- Design and implement algorithms that translate natural language into real-world robotic behavior
- Build scalable systems that bridge foundational AI models with physical-world execution
- Collaborate across disciplines—robotics, AI, and systems engineering—to push boundaries in agent orchestration and autonomous control
- Drive the company’s research agenda, architecture decisions, and long-term technical strategy
- Contribute to publications, patents, and experiments that shape the field of embodied intelligence
Who You Are
- Proven track record in AI, machine learning, or robotics research, with system-building experience
- Deep understanding of transformers, diffusion models, and generative AI techniques
- Strong programming skills in Python and familiarity with major ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)
- Experience connecting ML systems to real-world applications—especially in robotics or automation
- Thrives in fast-paced, high-ambiguity environments typical of early-stage startups
- Creative, execution-focused, and meticulous—someone who “codes with care”
Compensation
Salary: $100K - $250K
Equity: 0.50% - 2.00%
Salary : $100,000 - $250,000