Reinforcement Learning Engineer

Synthesia

$130K — $155K *
Technical Services
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Hands-on expertise (3+ years) with RL frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) and high-fidelity physics simulators (e.g., MuJoCo, IsaacGym)
  • Mastery of Python and strong proficiency in C++
  • Experience with large-scale, distributed training pipelines
  • Strong theoretical understanding of modern reinforcement learning
  • Intuition for robot dynamics and controls theory
  • Passion for implementing complex algorithms on physical hardware

Responsibilities

  • Implement and deploy advanced RL algorithms for high-performance dynamic locomotion and manipulation
  • Drive development from simulation prototyping to fine-tuning on robots
  • Optimize and scale RL training pipelines for rapid iteration
  • Develop motion retargeting pipelines from human demonstrations into learning reference trajectories
  • Collaborate with robotics teams to address system-level challenges
  • Analyze and present hardware results to inform future technical strategies

Benefits

  • Collaborative multidisciplinary team environment
  • Opportunity to shape high-velocity engineering culture
  • Involvement in rigorous code reviews
  • Engagement with cutting-edge robotics technology
  • Support for mentorship and technical guidance opportunities
Full Job Description
JOB SUMMARY:

As a Reinforcement Learning Engineer, you will be a core contributor to the intelligence and physical capabilities of our humanoid platforms. This role is dedicated to architecting sophisticated neural network topologies and implementing state-of-the-art RL algorithms to achieve world-class performance in whole-body locomanipulation. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to develop high-performance policies and optimized training pipelines that allow our robots to move and interact with the world with unprecedented fluidity. Beyond your technical contributions, you will play a key role in maintaining a high-velocity, ego-free engineering culture - sharing insights, participating in rigorous code reviews, and collaborating closely with hardware and controls teams to ensure our collective success on physical hardware.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
  • Implement and deploy state-of-the-art RL algorithms to achieve ambitious, world-class performance on dynamic locomotion and manipulation tasks with physical hardware.
  • Drive the entire development cycle, from prototyping in simulation to robustly transferring and fine-tuning policies on the robot.
  • Optimize and scale the RL training pipeline for faster iteration, contributing to core infrastructure for high-throughput simulation and distributed training.
  • Develop and refine motion retargeting pipelines to translate human demonstration data (mocap, teleoperation) into robust reference trajectories for reinforcement learning.
  • Collaborate closely with the robotics and hardware teams to diagnose system-level issues and co-develop solutions that enable more complex learned behaviors.
  • Analyze and present hardware results to guide future technical directions and demonstrate progress on key company objectives.
SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS
  • Hands-on expertise (3+ years) with common RL frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) and high-fidelity physics simulators (e.g., MuJoCo, IsaacGym).
  • Mastery of Python for rapid prototyping and training, alongside strong proficiency in C++ for developing performant, deployable code.
  • Experience building or utilizing large-scale, distributed training pipelines and a strong intuition for their optimization.
  • A strong theoretical understanding of modern reinforcement learning, including deep expertise in areas like imitation learning, model-based RL, and sim-to-real transfer techniques.
  • A strong intuition for robot dynamics and controls theory, with the ability to apply these principles to guide and constrain learning-based approaches.
  • A results-oriented mindset with a passion for seeing complex algorithms work on real-world hardware.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
  • A PhD degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field, or an MS degree in a similar field with 2+ years industry experience.
  • A proven track record of successfully deploying learning-based policies on physical robotic systems, especially legged robots or manipulators.
  • Demonstrated experience mentoring or providing technical guidance to other engineers in a team environment.
  • A strong publication record in relevant conferences or journals (e.g., CoRL, RSS, ICRA) is a significant plus.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
  • Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
  • Hearing and speech to communicate


*This is a direct hire. Please, no outside Agency solicitations.

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