THE OPPORTUNITYThe ML & AI Researcher role at Ludo Robotics is a full-time position for exceptional researchers who want to go beyond the boundaries of traditional academic research and translate frontier ideas into physical systems deployed in the real world.
You will pursue independent and collaborative research in Robotics, AI and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI)-with full access to our robot platforms, datasets, compute infrastructure, and close collaboration with our core research team. Researchers are expected to drive meaningful research contributions that advance the state of the art and feed directly into Ludo's technical roadmap.
We welcome applicants whose work spans AI / ML, human-robot interaction, perception, manipulation, navigation, or any adjacent area where ambitious research can move the needle.
We are currently placing particular emphasis on two profiles: researchers in human-robot interaction-how people and robots perceive, understand, and communicate with one another through natural, multimodal cues, including speech and audio-and researchers in robot action-the learned models and control policies that let robots manipulate objects and act dexterously in unstructured, real-world environments. Candidates with a strong track record in either area are especially encouraged to apply.
RESPONSIBILITIES- Design and lead an independent research agenda within the scope of the role, in collaboration with Ludo's research team.
- Conduct experiments, user studies, and field deployments to evaluate hypotheses on real hardware.
- Develop theoretical frameworks and translate them into prototype robot behaviors that bridge research with real-world system implementation.
- Synthesize findings from academic literature across HRI, HCI, social robotics, cognitive science, robot learning, and AI to inform research direction.
- Integrate developed models and algorithms into robot control pipelines and evaluate their real-world performance.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, designers, and product teams to translate research insights into deployable systems.
- Contribute to establishing metrics and evaluation frameworks for robot behavior and system performance.
- Actively participate in team seminars, design reviews, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
QUALIFICATIONS- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field with focus on Deep Learning or Machine Learning - or equivalent industry experience.
- Solid understanding of machine learning fundamentals and modern deep learning techniques, with hands-on experience with ML frameworks.
- Strong programming skills, primarily in Python, with experience or willingness to work in C++-based robotics environments.
- Comfort working on open-ended, ambiguous problems where requirements and solutions evolve and curiosity and readiness to tackle new technical challenges that may not have established best practices.
- Experience working with real-world data, including noise, edge cases, and imperfect labels.
- Familiarity with robotics concepts such as perception, control, state estimation, or simulation a plus.
- Experience building systems for Human-robot interaction: multimodal and audio-based communication, speech and conversational interfaces, and socially aware, natural turn-taking behavior or applying large language models (LLMs) to robot behavior, natural language understanding, and task planning.
- Experience developing robot action models-such as vision-language-action (VLA) models, imitation or reinforcement learning for manipulation, or learned control policies deployed on real hardware.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to reason about complex systems.
- Ability to collaborate effectively in fast-paced, research-driven environments.
- Clear communication skills and a strong sense of ownership over outcomes.
This position may be filled at multiple levels depending on experience, scope, and business need. In California, the expected salary range for this position is $98,000-$305,000. The listed expected salary ranges represent good faith estimates. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors including experience, education, skills, performance, and work location. This position is also eligible for equity compensation and a comprehensive benefits package.
Don't meet every single requirement?Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply at jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LUDO ROBOTICS we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right candidate for this or other roles.
Due to recent scams, our recruiters will only reach out to you via [redacted].ai, [redacted].com, [redacted].com or [redacted].com. If you received an email and are unsure you can always email [redacted] 
