Senior / Staff Robotics Research Scientist - Dexterous & Mobile Manipulation

Company: Multiply Labs
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description About Multiply Labs Multiply Labs is a cutting-edge startup based in San Francisco, California, supported by top-tier tech and life science investors such as Casdin Capital, Lux Capital, and Y Combinator. Our mission is to build the best robots in the world, and use them to make the most advanced life-saving therapies accessible to all. We are revolutionizing the manufacturing of cell therapies by developing advanced robotic systems designed to automate and scale the production of these life-saving treatments. Our robots empower biopharma companies to produce cell therapies at scale without significantly changing their existing processes, reducing regulatory barriers and risks. While traditional approaches are time-consuming and lead to extremely high costs for patients (typically $1M per patient), using robotics can make these transformative treatments more accessible and affordable to patients in need. To learn more and to view a video of our robots in action, visit us at www.multiplylabs.com and follow us on LinkedIn. About the Role At Multiply Labs, we are applying AI to solve complex manipulation challenges in robotic cell therapy manufacturing. We're looking for a Research Scientist specializing in robotic manipulation to develop the next generation of our intelligent robotic systems. You will be responsible for developing frontier research results, developing and deploying practical systems with a core focus on dexterous & mobile manipulation.You will work closely with a multi-disciplinary team and directly impacting our mission to manufacture life-saving therapies at scale. Responsibilities include: Research focused on advancing robotic manipulation systems by developing exciting new ideas and providing solutions to complex problems Collaborate on publications to be submitted at worldwide conferences Working with fellow researchers and engineers to develop prototypes Apply yours and others’ research to real world problems Requirements MS or PhD in a robotics-relevant field 5 years of experience in research and development A strong theoretical and practical understanding of modern approaches for robotic manipulation, which might include imitation learning, reinforcement learning, and vision-language-action (VLA) models High proficiency with Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch). Experience collaborating in large and complex code bases Experience with modern robotics simulation environments designed for ML (e.g., Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, PyBullet). A track record of deploying onto physical robot hardware, especially high-degree-of-freedom manipulators or humanoids. Proven track record of publications in top-tier conferences and journals in Machine Learning, Robotics, or related fields Robotics: ICRA, IROS, CoRL, RSS, TRO, IJRR, etc Computer vision: CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, etc Machine Learning: NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, etc Nice to Haves The following is an example list of expertise - because robotics is such a broad umbrella, we do not expect candidates to check every item here; if you have an expertise that is not listed here, please also let us know via the cover letter. Experience with planning algorithms (A, RRT, PRM, etc) Experience with controller design (linear/nonlinear/optimal/robust/adaptive control, LQR, DDP, MPC, etc) Experience with optimization techniques (linear/quadratic/semidefinite/nonlinear optimization, etc) Experience with dynamics modeling (linear, nonlinear, Euler-Lagrange, Newton-Euler, Featherstone, etc) Experience with partial sensing (POMDPs, Kalman filters, particle filters, etc) Experience with task planning (TAMP, STRIPS, MDPs, etc) Experience with robotics toolkits (ROS/ROS2, OpenRAVE, MoveIt!, etc) Benefits 401K with 4% company match Health Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Life Insurance Partial Health Insurance for Child Dependents HSA or FSA Twice weekly catered lunch (for team members in SF office) Pre-tax Commuter Benefit 10 Paid Holidays Flexible PTO Paid Parental Leave Multiply Labs will review the benefit offerings periodically and the benefit options are subject to change to meet employee and business needs. Multiply Labs is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the compensation package. Our job titles may span multiple career levels. Actual base pay is determined by several factors including: education, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and location. We take pride in cultivating an environment that fosters collaboration, open communication, and authenticity. We are an equal opportunity employer; we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We are diverse in background and singular in mission.

Keywords: Multiply Labs, Richmond , Senior / Staff Robotics Research Scientist - Dexterous & Mobile Manipulation, Engineering , San Francisco, California