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.
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.
Position Responsibilities:
- 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
Required Skills:
- 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%)
Additional Information
Disclosure of Trade Secrets
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.
Essential Job Functions
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.
Samsung Research America is committed to complying with all Federal, State and local laws related to the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation as part of the employment selection process, please contact the recruiter or email [email protected].
Equal Employment Opportunity
At Samsung, we believe that innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We aim to create a global team where everyone belongs and has equal opportunities, inspiring our talent to be their true selves. Together, we are building a better tomorrow for our customers, partners, and communities.
Samsung Research America is committed to employing a diverse workforce, and provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.
For more information regarding protection from discrimination under Federal law for applicants and employees, please refer to this link: Pay Transparency
Skills Required
- PhD in CS, EE, Robotics, or equivalent experience
- 11+ years post-graduate robotics R&D experience
- Multiple first-author publications at top-tier venues (CoRL, ICRA, RSS, CVPR, ICML, NeurIPS)
- Comprehensive understanding of robotics, machine learning, planning, and computer vision
- Demonstrated experience implementing and testing complex integrated behaviors on simulated and real robots
- Knowledge of ML model development, tuning, evaluation, and deployment processes
- Familiarity with PyTorch, TensorFlow, C++, ROS, and CUDA
- Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently and in teams
- Excellent verbal communication and technical writing skills
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (~10%)
Samsung Research America Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Samsung Research America and has not been reviewed or approved by Samsung Research America.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision start on the date of hire with multiple plan options, alongside mental-health support through Lyra and noted infertility coverage. Wellness programs plus on-site or reimbursed fitness resources further reinforce comprehensive health support.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — PTO scales from 20 to 30 days with tenure and includes 12 paid holidays and two early‑release days annually. A quarterly development day adds additional paid time focused on growth.
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Parental & Family Support — Six weeks fully paid parental leave and six weeks paid family medical care leave are provided, with backup care via Bright Horizons and adoption/fertility supports available. Short‑term disability pays up to 26 weeks at 100% salary, enhancing income protection during family or health events.
Samsung Research America Insights
What We Do
Founded in October 1988, Samsung Research America (SRA) builds upon Samsung’s 40-year history in the Bay Area. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices across the United States and Canada, SRA is engaged in researching emerging technology to create new businesses and developing core technology to enhance the competitiveness of Samsung products. We also play a key role in providing the infrastructure to support Samsung’s open innovation and university collaboration activities.
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