{"id":666712,"url":"https://alion.io/job/apptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2","title":"Principal Robotics Machine Learning Engineer","company":{"id":47983,"name":"Apptronik","domain":"apptronik.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/apptronik","size_band":"501-1000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":86,"open_postings":22,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":0.364,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":85,"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"}},"role":"Robotics","role_family":"Robotics","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Austin, United States","Sunnyvale, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":185000,"max_usd":375000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":43},"experience_years_min":7,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Computer Vision","optional":false},{"name":"Fine-tuning","optional":false},{"name":"Localization","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"PyTorch","optional":false},{"name":"Sensor Fusion","optional":false},{"name":"Synthetic Data","optional":false},{"name":"World Models","optional":false},{"name":"Drake","optional":true},{"name":"Human-in-the-Loop","optional":true},{"name":"Isaac Sim","optional":true},{"name":"MuJoCo","optional":true},{"name":"Teleoperation","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-10T18:11:58Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-13","last_verified_at":"2026-11-03T06:23:26Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":53,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":53},"description":"Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.\nWe operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.\nJOB SUMMARY\nThe Principal Manipulation Engineer is a core contributor to our robot’s ability to interact with the world with human-like world model context, dynamic perception, and interactive behavior. This role is responsible for the end-to-end lifecycle of learned manipulation, from data engine design through training to on-robot deployment and is expected to diagnose performance bottlenecks. This requires deep fluency in both classical computer vision and modern deep learning to unlock the full potential of state-of-the-art humanoid robot hardware.\nThis role will bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and scalable, reliable production software. We move at startup pace; intense and focused, but sustainable. We operate with high ownership, fast feedback, and low bureaucracy. \nESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES\nImplement and deploy state-of-the-art ML models/algorithms to achieve ambitious, world-class performance on open world object manipulation tasks with physical hardware.\nDrive the data engine for manipulation learning: data collection strategy, curation, annotation, and synthetic/real data mix, in close partnership with data infrastructure teams.\nDrive the entire development cycle, from prototyping in simulation to robustly transferring and fine-tuning models on the robot.\nIdentify and prioritize performance bottlenecks, distinguishing between root causes traceable to classical vision (calibration, geometry, sensor fusion) vs those rooted in sub-optimal model/data, to prioritize fixes according to customer-expected levels of reliability.\nAct as a force multiplier across the organization. Beyond code reviews, foster a culture of technical rigor, setting the bar for architectural excellence and mentoring the next generation of robotics leaders.\nSKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS\nTechnical Skills (Must-Have)\nDeployment Experience: 5+ years shipping machine learning models on robotic systems in production environments.\nAI Model Development Proficiency: Expertise in models including CNNs, transformers\nSoftware Engineering: Proficiency in Python, C++, and PyTorch, with experience building real-time robotic software stacks.\nAI Data Pipeline Experience: Experience with data collection, annotation, and synthetic data generation for ML.\nComputer Vision: Familiarity with 6D pose estimation, camera calibration/extrinsics, point cloud processing and visual-servoing.\nHardware Bring-up: Experience with the initial calibration and tuning of high-DOF robotic manipulators.\nGood to Have\nML Ops: Familiarity with distributed training and MLOps principles.\nTeleoperation: Experience with VR/haptic interfaces and retargeting algorithms for human-in-the-loop control.\nSimulation Environments: Experience with physics engines such as IsaacSim, MuJoCo, or Drake for policy training and validation.\nLogistics Automation Background: Experience using manipulators to automate dynamic real-world material handling tasks.\nEDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE\nBS/MS/PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.\n7+ years of relevant experience (or 5+ years with a PhD) specifically focused on robotic manipulation or complex motion control.\nA proven track record of taking complex algorithms from conception to successfully deploying them on physical hardware.\nPHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS\nProlonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer\nMust be able to lift 15 pounds at times\nVision to read printed materials and a computer screen\nHearing and speech to communicate\n*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations. \nApptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.","description_format":"text","description_chars":4690,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":7,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Robotics AI","Robotic Components & Sensors","Humanoid Robots"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-10T22:02:35Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 23","filings_12m":23,"filings_prev_12m":20,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":157500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-29T16:27:21+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":20}],"liveness":{"score":78,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.869,"p_room":0.9,"age_days":53,"expected_fill_days":85,"reasons":["conf:3","velocity","win:mid"],"computed_at":"2026-11-03T05:54:40Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/apptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/apptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-03T10:23:04Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":14403,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-04T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":47983},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=47983"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fapptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fapptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fapptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/apptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fapptronik-principal-robotics-machine-learning-engineer-2"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":666712}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"apptronik.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":666712},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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