Research Technical Program Manager (Robotics)

Location: On-site in Redwood City, California, United States

Company

Builds general-purpose robots powered by a proprietary embodied AI foundation model and deployed with customers across multiple industries.

What you will do

• Maintain a complete view of research projects, including objectives, hypotheses, results, milestones, risks, and upcoming decisions.
• Assess research progress, evaluate experimental evidence, identify technical bottlenecks, and distinguish meaningful advances from open questions.
• Connect work across research teams by identifying shared challenges, dependencies, complementary approaches, and opportunities for collaboration.
• Partner with the Chief Research Officer on research strategy, priorities, resourcing, and technical recommendations.
• Lead research reviews, clarify tradeoffs, document decisions, and ensure ownership and follow-through.
• Bridge research with engineering and product teams by identifying promising findings and remaining validation needs.

Requirements

• Strong research background in robotics demonstrated through original research, publications, or substantial industry research contributions.
• Deep expertise in one or more areas including robot learning, manipulation, perception, planning, control, embodied AI, or autonomous systems.
• Ability to interpret technical work and experimental results, question assumptions, and exercise sound judgment beyond a primary area of specialization.
• Experience coordinating complex research efforts across multiple researchers, teams, or disciplines.
• PhD in robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent research experience.
• Experience with senior research leadership, portfolio planning, technical prioritization, and physical robotic systems.

Culture & Benefits

• Work with researchers and engineers from Google DeepMind, Meta, and Cruise.
• Contribute to technology designed for real-world robotic deployment across multiple industries.
• Environment emphasizing technical rigor, mutual respect, problem-solving, and grit.
• Equal opportunity workplace committed to diversity across the environments served by its robots.