Head of Robot Intelligence

Lab Summary: 

The Robot Intelligence Lab at Samsung Research America is a new facility dedicated to advancing the field of robotics through cutting-edge research and development. The lab’s mission is to develop advanced technologies such as robotic foundation models, vision language models, imitation learning, and sensor innovation and fusion to create intelligent robotic systems capable of interacting with their environment in a human-like manner. To achieve this mission, the lab collaborates closely with both with external entities such as universities, startups, and government labs, and with several Samsung Product and Advanced Research labs.

Position Summary: 

Samsung Research America is looking for someone who has solid technical skills and project experience in areas of robotics and embodied intelligence. Our ideal candidate is to lead a team of research scientist and engineers to explore novel AI-led techniques towards generalizing robots to perform tasks in the real world. Samsung’s unique advantage in the consumer electronics market and growing focus on AI and robotics will provide you with exciting technical challenges and a rewarding career experience. By leveraging Samsung’s vast product ecosystem to deliver novel user experiences, your work will define Samsung’s future in robotics and significantly impact real-world users.

Position Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage cross-functional teams of scientist, engineers and other stakeholders to delivery high-quality robotic projects on time within budget
• Lead and manage the robotic intelligence team to conduct advanced research on robotic foundation models and algorithm design, robotic system design and integration, robotic hardware and software design and integration etc.
• Lead and manage the robotic intelligence team to quickly prototype new ideas/technologies and prepare demos on robotic research
• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables and ensure alignment with business objectives and stakeholders
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members, ensuring the development of innovative and effective robotic solution
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in robotic technology and incorporate them into project design
• Foster a positive and collaborative team culture, promoting open communication, trust, and respect.
• Identify training needs and opportunities for professional growth, providing coaching and feedback to team members.
• Recruit, hire, and onboard new team members as needed.

Required Skills:

• PhD degree in CS/Robotics/EE/ECE or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• 15+ years of experience in robotic engineering, with a minimum of 5 years in a leadership or management role
• Strong technical knowledge and experience in robotic systems including robotic foundation models, control, perception, path planning, software and hardware etc.
• Solid understanding of recent robotic development trend and directions.
• Strong research experience with embodied intelligence (imitation learning, task planning, perception, simulation platforms such as Mujoco and Isaac Sim, robotic platform).
• Strong experience on deep learning and foundation model methods (e.g., contrastive learning, AI agent, fine-tuning, LoRA etc.)
• Solid background in deep learning, deep reinforcement learning, generative AI, diffusion models, VAE, gaussian splatting.
• Excellent verbal communication and writing skills to effectively represent the derived results and technical concepts developed in the course of the work
• Excellent project management skills, with experience in Agile or Scrum methodologies.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams, with a focus on collaboration and innovation.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with stakeholders at all levels.