Lead Research Scientist – Manipulation & Autonomy

Fauna Robotics • New York City, NY

6h • $200 - $250

About The Position

We are seeking a Lead Research Scientist to drive the development of next-generation manipulation and autonomy systems for humanoid robots operating in complex, real-world environments. This role is designed for an exceptional technical leader with a strong research background and a passion for translating cutting-edge ideas into working robotic systems. You will play a central role in defining the technical direction of our manipulation and autonomy stack, from problem formulation and algorithm design to system integration and real-world deployment. While this role is hands-on and deeply technical, it is also expected to evolve toward technical leadership and team building over time. For the right candidate, we are open to Staff, Principal, or VP-level titles, with scope matched to experience and impact.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, AI, or a closely related field or equivalent research experience in industry.
• Strong track record of impactful research in manipulation, autonomy, control, or learning for robotics, demonstrated through publications, open-source contributions, or shipped systems.
• Deep understanding of robot manipulation, motion planning, and autonomy.
• Experience with learning-based approaches (e.g. reinforcement learning, imitation learning, hybrid classical/learning systems).
• Strong systems intuition and ability to reason across algorithms, software, and hardware.
• Experience working with simulation and real robotic platforms.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with humanoid robots or high-DoF manipulation systems.
• Prior experience leading research directions, mentoring junior researchers, or acting as a technical lead.
• Familiarity with deployment constraints such as real-time control, compute limits, and hardware reliability.
• Familiarity with performance optimization in cpp.
• Experience bridging academic research and production robotics.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of manipulation and autonomy systems for humanoid robots, including planning, control, learning, and closed-loop execution.
• Design and implement algorithms, especially focused around whole-body autonomy and interaction with dynamic environments
• Work closely with perception, motor control, hardware, and systems teams to build tightly integrated autonomy pipelines.
• Define evaluation methodologies, benchmarks, and simulation-to-real workflows for manipulation and autonomy.
• Stay deeply engaged with the research community, selectively incorporating state-of-the-art techniques into deployed systems.
• Over time, mentor and guide other researchers and engineers, help set technical direction, and contribute to team growth and research culture.

Benefits

• The opportunity to work on groundbreaking robotics technology, enabling the next generation of humanoid robots to interact dynamically with their environments.
• A collaborative and innovative environment that fosters creativity and exploration.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree