{"id":182405,"url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation","title":"Robotics Software Internship, Manipulation","company":{"id":63117,"name":"Persona AI","domain":"persona.ai","url":"https://alion.io/company/persona-ai","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":8,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":38,"computed_at":"2026-10-20T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"Early Careers","role_family":"Early Careers","seniority":"intern","employment_type":"internship","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Houston, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":44000,"max_usd":71000,"period":"year","method":"role_seniority_country_remote_cell","sample_n":372},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Computer Vision","optional":false},{"name":"Digital Twin","optional":false},{"name":"Drake","optional":false},{"name":"Isaac Sim","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Motion Planning","optional":false},{"name":"MoveIt","optional":false},{"name":"MuJoCo","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Reinforcement Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Reinforcement Learning","optional":false},{"name":"ROS","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-28T20:16:50Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-28","last_verified_at":"2026-10-20T05:37:42Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":52,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":52},"description":"Job Title: Robotics Software Internship, Manipulation\nDepartment: Software Engineering\nReports To: Manipulation Lead\nEmployment Type: Internship\nLocation: Houston, Texas - Required (on-site)\nWho We Are\nPersona AI is building humanoid robots for the most demanding environments in heavy industry - shipyards, steel mills, fabrication facilities, and offshore platforms - performing welding, grinding, maintenance, inspection, and material-handling work that is dangerous, physically demanding, and increasingly difficult to staff.\nWe are backed by leading strategic and financial investors and engaged with global industrial leaders across Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore. Korea is the center of gravity for our early commercial strategy, anchored by relationships with the world’s leading shipbuilders and steelmakers. Our work spans both the robot platform itself and the systems, partners, and playbooks required to deploy it at scale.\nYour Role:\nHelp design and implement dexterous manipulation algorithms for humanoid robots with high-DOF, multi-fingered hands, working closely with senior engineers.\n\nContribute to the manipulation pipeline (perception, grasping, trajectory optimization, motion planning, and control) on tasks like precise grasping, dual-arm manipulation, and in-hand object manipulation.\n\nSupport the implementation and testing of control strategies for dexterous manipulation, including force/motion control and visual/tactile servoing.\n\nAssist with integrating manipulation components into the humanoid robot's whole-body controller and loco-manipulation efforts.\n\nBuild and iterate on digital-twin simulation environments for algorithm development using simulators such as MuJoCo and Isaac Sim.\n\nRun and help design tests in both simulated and real-world environments, and help analyze the results.\n\nPartner with the machine learning team to help train and deploy models for advanced manipulation tasks.\n\nStay current on manipulation research and bring relevant ideas, traditional and deep learning-based, back to the team.\n\nWe're Looking For:\nCurrently pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or a related field.\n\nCoursework, lab research, or project experience (capstone projects, robotics competitions, personal projects) involving control and manipulation of robotic or humanoid arms.\n\nFoundational knowledge of motion planning, control theory, and optimization.\n\nProgramming proficiency in C++ and/or Python.\n\nExposure to relevant robotics libraries or tools (e.g., ROS, MoveIt!, Drake, OpenRAVE) through coursework or projects.\n\nFamiliarity with deep learning fundamentals as applied to robotics or manipulation.\n\nSome exposure to computer vision concepts, such as sensors, point clouds, segmentation, and object detection, through coursework or projects.\n\nA strong desire to learn quickly and contribute in a fast-paced startup environment.\n\nPreferred or Bonus Qualifications:\nProject or research experience with contact modeling, force/torque estimation, or tactile sensing for dexterous tasks.\n\nExposure to machine learning for dexterous manipulation, such as learning-based grasp strategies, behavior cloning, or reinforcement learning.\n\nPublished research related to manipulation.\n\nPrior internship or hands-on experience in a robotics, autonomy, or hardware startup environment.\n\nOur Internship Program\nAt Persona AI, our internship program gives you direct, hands-on experience building cutting-edge humanoid robotics alongside industry experts. We offer full-time term opportunities across three upcoming cohorts:\nFall 2026: August - December\n\nSpring 2027: January - May\n\nSummer 2027: May - August\n\nAs an intern, you’ll be paired 1:1 with a senior engineer mentor to accelerate your growth and guide your technical contributions. You will bond with your cohort through intern group lunches, gain cross-functional perspective during company-wide learning lunches, and unwind with fun team activities throughout the term. Whether you're working on advanced motion planning or real-world system testing, you'll tackle meaningful engineering challenges while immersing yourself in our collaborative startup culture.\nApplication Review Process\nWe evaluate applications as they are received rather than waiting for the posted deadline to pass. Positions for each cohort are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and the portal will close as soon as all available roles are finalized.\nTo give yourself the best chance of securing a spot, keep these tips in mind:\nApply Early: Submitting your resume as soon as possible ensures your materials are reviewed before interview slots fill up.\n\nCohort Availability: Popular terms-especially Summer 2027-tend to reach capacity quickly.\n\nRolling Interviews: Interviews and candidate evaluations begin immediately upon application receipt.\n\nPersona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.\nAll qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.","description_format":"text","description_chars":5214,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"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","Industrial Robotics","Humanoid Robots"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-01T02:34:35Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 2","filings_12m":2,"filings_prev_12m":0,"green_card_filings_12m":0,"median_offered_wage_usd":172500,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-15T11:24:14+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":25,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.557,"p_room":0.44,"age_days":52,"expected_fill_days":38,"reasons":["conf:0","win:tail","crowd:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-10-20T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/persona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-20T08:41:11Z","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":9485,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-21T00:00:00Z"}},"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":63117},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=63117"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation"},{"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%2Fpersona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation"},{"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%2Fpersona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation"},{"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/persona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fpersona-ai-robotics-software-internship-manipulation"}]}