Your Charter

Bring us the idea, prototype, technology, or insight that you believe can materially advance humanoid performance.

This is not a role tied to a predefined roadmap. Instead, we are looking for exceptional technical individuals who have identified a meaningful capability gap and have a credible path toward closing it. Whether your work originates from research, industry, startups, or personal projects, we want to understand what you have built, what you've learned, and what you would pursue if given the resources to take it all the way.

As part of 1X Labs, you will be expected to transform ambitious technical ideas into evidence, working prototypes, and ultimately technologies that can survive the constraints of real products and real manufacturing.

Key Outcomes

• Develop and validate technologies that meaningfully advance humanoid capability toward human-level performance
• Demonstrate measurable improvements through rigorous experimentation, benchmarking, and real-world validation
• Translate novel research ideas into working systems, prototypes, or platforms that can be evaluated and integrated
• Identify and overcome fundamental technical bottlenecks that limit current robotic performance
• Create credible paths from early-stage research to scalable product implementation

Key Competencies

• Exceptional technical depth in at least one relevant field, combined with the ability to reason across adjacent disciplines
• Strong bias toward execution, experimentation, and evidence-based decision making
• Demonstrated ability to independently originate, develop, and validate ambitious technical ideas
• Comfort operating in highly ambiguous environments with minimal predefined structure
• Persistence and intellectual honesty when confronting difficult technical problems

Minimum Requirements

• Applicants should demonstrate at least one of the following:
• First-author or equivalent high-impact scientific publication in a relevant technical field
• Development of a prototype, system, or technology that materially advanced the state of the art
• Experience founding or co-founding a technical venture and successfully bringing deep-technology products or technologies into the world
• Demonstrated track record of carrying complex technical ideas from concept through implementation and validation
• Clear evidence of exceptional technical achievement beyond traditional academic or industry credentials

Preferred Skills

• Expertise in robotics, AI, controls, sensing, actuation, materials science, manufacturing, neuroscience, biomechanics, or other fields relevant to humanoid robotics
• Experience building and validating physical systems in real-world environments
• Experience leading highly technical projects or research efforts
• Strong interdisciplinary reasoning across hardware, software, and system-level challenges
• Demonstrated ability to translate research into deployable products

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like?

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it's the one thing you can't get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Within 1X Labs, the most successful people are those who combine deep expertise with relentless curiosity. They are willing to challenge assumptions, test ideas against reality, and pursue difficult technical paths that others overlook. They care less about defending ideas and more about discovering what is true.

Application Prompt

When applying, tell us:

• The performance gap you believe should be closed
• The technical foundation you already have (research, prototype, technology, or insight)
• Why existing approaches are insufficient
• What you would build and test first if constraints were removed

Compensation Range

$250,000 - $300,000 + Equity

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
• 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
• Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
• Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
• Onsite snacks and catered lunches