Principal Research Scientist, Robotics
Job description
About the role
This role conducts advanced research to advance robot autonomy, manipulation, and complex reasoning for high-impact applications. The role defines technical direction and real-world impact through close collaboration with universities, startups, and Samsung research labs.
Research roles build new knowledge and test ideas. Researchers design studies, run experiments, and analyze results. The work spans academic labs, corporate R&D, and product research. Rigor, reproducibility, and clear reporting are the standards that matter. Research work is evaluated on rigor and reproducibility. Most researchers keep detailed lab books or version-controlled analysis code.
Key facts
What you'll do
Original research pushes the boundaries of long-horizon robot autonomy in real-world settings to address complex real-world problems.
Tracking scientific advances and communicating key developments shapes R&D priorities to guide strategic technical decisions.
Requirements
The posting states a pay range of $242500 to $376650.
A PhD in CS/EE/Robotics or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience is mandatory for this position.
Post-graduate experience totals 11+ years conducting robotics R&D to build relevant domain expertise.
A strong research track record includes multiple first-author publications at top-tier venues in robotics or related fields to demonstrate thought leadership.
Fundamentals of robotics, machine learning, planning, and computer vision are understood comprehensively to inform system architecture.
Demonstrated experience implementing and testing complex integrated behaviors on simulated and real robots is required for operational validation.
Knowledge of tools and processes for ML model development, tuning, evaluation, and deployment is applied to streamline workflows.
Proficiency with PyTorch, TensorFlow, C++, ROS, and CUDA is required to support advanced algorithmic implementation.
Effective problem-solving skills enable independent work and teamwork to navigate ambiguous challenges.
Clear verbal communication and writing skills represent derived results and technical concepts developed in the course of the work to diverse audiences.
Domestic and international travel reaches up to 10 percent of time to support project objectives and collaboration.
Practical notes
The role is office-based, requiring sitting and standing at a desk, using standard office equipment, and communicating in person and by telephone.
Reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities are available upon request, and Samsung Research America is an equal opportunity employer.
Typical interview steps
Research interviews usually include a presentation of past work, a technical discussion, and sometimes a research proposal exercise. Candidates may be asked to design a study or critique a method. Depth of understanding is tested more than speed. Interviewers often ask you to present your past work in depth. Being ready to defend every methodological choice is the core preparation.
Good to know
Robot Intelligence roles typically combine algorithmic research with engineering implementation on physical systems. Professionals in this field commonly work with simulation frameworks, perception libraries, and control stacks. Collaboration across research divisions and product teams is common to transition prototypes into scalable solutions. Continuous learning is essential due to rapid advances in models, perception, and decision-making methods. Oral and written communication skills are important for publishing findings and presenting to both technical and executive audiences.
Questions to ask
Good questions to ask the employer in the interview: what does success look like in the first six months, how is the team structured, what is the current biggest challenge, and how are decisions made. Asking about growth paths and the review process is also well received. Employers expect questions, and good ones show preparation.
Career growth
Research careers grow from junior researcher to senior scientist, principal, and lab or research director roles. Some people move into applied research and product work. Publication record or demonstrable impact drives progression, depending on the setting. Research careers reward a strong publication or delivery record. Applied research roles value impact on products as much as novelty.