Applied Researcher, Dexterous Manipulation

Key Skills

Aartificial intelligence, Computer Vision (CV), Confluence, GitLab, JIRA, Leadership Skill, Machine learning techniques, Python Programming, PyTorch, TensorFlow

Job Description

Sanctuary AI–a multi award-winning LinkedIn Top Startup company–is seeking an exceptional Applied Researcher, Dexterous Manipulation to join our team in engineering and innovating unique robotic manipulation tasks.

As an Applied Researcher, you'll be responsible for selecting the most promising state of the art (SOTA) approaches, designing training and data-collection pipelines, supervising the process of testing these algorithms in simulation, and deploying them to our robots in real-world settings. With access to in-house robots with dexterous hands, you'll also have a unique opportunity for impactful work with new haptic and proprioceptive sensing modalities.

Success Criteria

• Design, implement, and improve state of the art Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Imitation Learning (IL) algorithms and test them in real-world settings
• Keep up to date with SOTA RL/IL methodologies and robotics
• Identify, communicate, and drive promising research directions to the team
• Find ways of improving existing implementations of RL/IL learning pipelines with regards to standard metrics such as sample efficiency, speed, computational resource usage, and scalability
• Design RL/IL training and data-collection pipelines to facilitate fast deployment on physical robots
• Work with a multidisciplinary team to develop novel algorithms and investigate sources of errors with existing implementations

Your Experience

Qualifications

• PhD in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Applied Math, or equivalent work experience in ML
• 3+ years' experience implementing and deploying (dexterous) robotic manipulation tasks in simulation and on physical robots
• Proven expertise in sim-to-real transfer
• Experience taking ML R&D and trained models into production
• Hands-on experience integrating ML models onto a robotics platform
• Experience with computer vision systems
• Publications in leading AI conferences such as ICRA, IROS and CORL

Skills

• Extensive knowledge of Reinforcement Learning and Imitation Learning principles and use
• Development with Python 3.8 or later
• Working knowledge of PyTorch and/or TensorFlow
• Familiarity with ROS2
• Experience with Atlassian tools; Jira, Confluence, or equivalent i.e. GitLab

Traits

• Above all else, a consistently positive attitude and a willingness to do whatever it takes to create robust solutions to complex problems
• Strong leadership skills in organizing R&D work for ML projects
• Eager to take on new challenges with tenacity and positivity
• Patience, persistence, and attention to detail when resolving performance issues
• Enthusiasm for bringing human-like intelligence to machines
• Ability to drive development of new functionalities from concept to production
• Ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast paced environment

Entry-rate Annual Salary: $140,000 CAD and up

Compensation:

At Sanctuary AI, we provide above average total compensation that includes three components: salary, equity, and benefits. Our goal is to ensure fairness in pay and we strive to make the overall package highly competitive with current market rates.

Equity:

Equity will play a significant role in the total compensation for this role. Our goal is to provide a generous equity compensation package, exceeding what is typically offered by companies of our size. The specific amount of equity will be communicated to candidates upon receiving an offer.

Benefits - Canadian permanent employees are eligible for:

• Medical Insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Hearing Aids
• Life Insurance and AD&D
• Prescriptions
• Paramedicals
• Hospital
• Travel
• $500 per calendar year Healthcare Spending Account
• Unique complimentary beverages and snacks at our head office

The compensation and benefits details provided for this role in Vancouver, BC are based on Sanctuary AI's market evaluation and may be subject to changes in the future. Your pay within the specified range will depend on various job-related factors, such as your past work experience, relevant education, and performance during interviews or work trials. Salary minimum provided is an entry-level rate for this role, as a requirement of the Pay Transparency Act in British Columbia.

 Please do not submit any information that is confidential to you or any third party. By submitting an application, you acknowledge and agree that your application does not contain any information that is confidential to you or any third party.

Working at Sanctuary AI

Sanctuary AI is an equal opportunity employer; employment with Sanctuary AI is governed based on skills, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any way by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status. In 2023, Sanctuary AI moved into a state-of-the-art office facility and has been recognized by LinkedIn as a Top Startup company.

Benefits

Full time (non co-op) employees enjoy medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, wellness programs, stock options, paid time off (3 weeks vacation accrued annually, paid statutory holidays, paid statutory sick leave, and statutory parental leave), scheduling and worksite flexibility by role, and more.

About Sanctuary AI

Founded in 2018 by Geordie Rose, Olivia Norton, and Ajay Agrawal, Sanctuary AI is a Vancouver, Canada-based company. Sanctuary AI is on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots that will help us work more safely, efficiently, and sustainably. And in the not-too-distant future, help us explore, settle, and prosper in outer space.