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Research Scientist

Leads original research in action-conditioned world models, physical AI, and generative modeling for embodied systems. Requires PhD in ML/CS/Robotics with top publications and expertise in generative models and large-scale training.

200k – 325kSan Francisco, CAAI ResearchOnsite

About the role

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead research directions in action-conditioned world models, physical AI, and generative modeling for embodied systems
  • Design novel architectures, training objectives, and evaluation frameworks for VLMs, VLAs, and world models
  • Direct research efforts with the goal of publishing in top journals
  • Partner with industrial collaborators to ground research in real-world physical AI use cases
  • Mentor research engineers and collaborate cross-functionally to move research into production
  • Stay at the frontier of the field — synthesizing relevant literature and identifying opportunities for impactful contributions
  • Contribute to Hedra's research culture and external scientific reputation

Qualifications

  • PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field, with publications at top ML or robotics venues
  • Deep expertise in generative modeling, world models, or vision-language(-action) models
  • Strong publication record at NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, CoRL, or equivalent venues
  • Experience with large-scale model training and modern deep learning infrastructure
  • Ability to independently drive research projects from ideation through publication
  • Background in embodied AI, robotic manipulation, or sim-to-real transfer is highly desirable
  • Experience with RLHF, DPO, or preference optimization for model alignment is a plus
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills — comfortable bridging research and applied teams

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation and equity
  • 401k (no match)
  • Healthcare (Silver PPO Medical, Vision, Dental)
  • Lunch and snacks at the office

Skills

Generative ModelingWorld ModelsVision-Language ModelsVision-Language-Action ModelsLarge-Scale Model TrainingDeep LearningEmbodied AiRobotic ManipulationSim-To-Real TransferRLHFDpoPreference Optimization

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