OverviewWho we're looking forToyota's Manufacturing Innovation & Transformation (MIT) - Manufacturing Center of Excellence is looking for a passionate and highly motivated Physical AI Senior Engineer
The primary responsibility of this role is to develop and implement innovative activities, improving manufacturing competitiveness and reducing fixed costs in North America
Reporting to the MIT Manager, the person in this role will support the Production Engineering Division and SOAR Group's objective to improve manufacturing competitiveness.
Reporting to the Engineering Manager the person in this role will support the Advanced Technology department's objective to learn and confirm innovative technologies for vehicle manufacturing.
What you'll be doing - Integrate and deploy AI-enabled robotic solutions to improve manufacturing capability, flexibility, and performance.
- Develop and implement computer vision, machine learning, and sensor fusion solutions for real-world manufacturing applications (e.g., bin picking, part handling, inspection).
- Build and optimize AI models for robust performance on industrial hardware, balancing latency, reliability, and compute constraints.
- Bridge the gap between modern AI Python scripts and standard industrial automation.
- Utilize simulation tools (e.g., Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, or equivalent) to support concept validation, synthetic data generation, and Sim2Real deployment.
- Lead and support equipment trials, debugging, and performance validation from proof-of-concept through production deployment (yokoten).
- Collaborate cross-functionally with robotics engineers, controls engineers, and plant manufacturing teams to integrate AI into production systems.
- Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging Physical AI technologies through benchmarking, supplier engagement, and industry events.
- Ensure solutions meet safety, reliability, and manufacturability requirements, including alignment with applicable standards and internal risk assessments.
- Present technical concepts, results, and recommendations to stakeholders, management, and executive leadership.
- Manage contractors to design and construct testing cells.
- Produce clear, detailed documentation to support future scaling and customer enablement.
What you bring - Bachelor's or master's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent experience).
- Demonstrated experience with manufacturing automation deployments.
- Experience in robotics, AI/ML, or advanced automation development.
- Having a full-stack mindset while working in team environments building complete solutions, not just independent AI algorithms, demonstrations, and experiments.
- Strong hands-on experience in at least two of the following:
- Computer vision (e.g., detection, segmentation, 3D perception)
- Machine learning / deep learning
- Robotics
- Proficiency in Python, C++, ROS-based systems; strong software engineering fundamentals.
- Deep understanding of different sensor types (RGBD cameras, LiDAR, Time-of-Flight sensors, etc.) and the ability to tune for image quality accuracy and performance.
What you may bring - Experience with simulation environments (e.g., Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Gazebo,
- or similar).
- Experience with reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or advanced robotics AI techniques.
- Experience with data collection strategies, including synthetic data or teleoperation-assisted learning.
- Exposure to industrial robot programming, PLC integration, or manufacturing systems.
- Experience working in a high-volume manufacturing environment, preferably automotive.
- Familiarity with relevant robot safety standards (ANSI/RIA, ISO).
What we'll bringDuring your interview process, our team can fill you in on all the details of our industry-leading benefits and career development opportunities. A few highlights include:
- A work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect.
- Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career, as well as tuition reimbursement.
- Team Member Vehicle Purchase Discount.
- Toyota Team Member Lease Vehicle Program (if applicable).
- Comprehensive health care and wellness plans for your entire family.
- Toyota 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match, as well as an annual retirement contribution from Toyota regardless of whether you contribute (if applicable).
- Paid holidays and paid time off.
- Referral services related to prenatal services, adoption, childcare, schools, and more.
- Tax-Advantaged Accounts (Health Savings Account, Health Care FSA, Dependent Care FSA).
- Relocation assistance (if applicable).
