Robotics Simulation & RL Engineer

About the role

Here at Humanoid, we believe in a future where robots amplify human potential. That’s why we’ve set out on a mission to build the world’s most capable, commercially-scalable, and safe humanoid robots. We’re bringing that mission to life with HMND‑01 - our rapidly developed humanoid platform being deployed in real industrial environments - and we’re growing the team to take it even further. ABOUT THE ROLE We design robots in simulation before building them in hardware. As a Robotics Simulation & RL Engineer, you will help design and validate future generations of our robotic platforms - including bipedal and wheeled systems - using physics simulation and reinforcement learning. You will develop tools to determine whether a robot design can perform real-world tasks before committing to hardware. Your work will directly inform robot architecture, actuator selection, sensor placement, and control strategies. A key responsibility of this role is owning and validating the canonical robot models (URDF and simulation assets) used across simulation and control stacks. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Design and evaluate new robot platforms using physics simulation - Analyze robot capabilities including workspace, manipulability, dynamic balance, and torque limits - Use reinforcement learning to stress-test robot designs and explore capability limits - Own and maintain URDF models of current and future robot platforms - Maintain the CAD → URDF → simulation pipeline - Develop tools and benchmarks to evaluate locomotion, manipulation, and platform robustness - Provide quantitative feedback to hardware teams on actuator sizing, joint placement, mass distribution, and sensor layout - Collaborate with mechanical, control, and perception teams to guide platform design decisions WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR - M.Sc http://M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Control, or a related field - Strong foundation in robot kinematics and dynamics - Experience with robot simulation environments (MuJoCo, Isaac Sim, Gazebo, or similar) - Experience with reinforcement learning in robotics or physics-based simulation - Experience working with URDF or similar robot description formats - Strong programming skills in Python and/or C++ - Experience training RL locomotion or manipulation policies Nice to have: - Experience with legged, humanoid, or wheeled robots; - Experience with whole-body control or torque-controlled robots; - Experience with simulation-driven hardware design; - Experience building large-scale RL training pipelines. WHAT WE OFFER - Comprehensive health coverage for US‑based employees, including fully paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, with virtual care and employee assistance resources. - Meaningful time off to rest and recharge: 23 days of PTO (accrued), separate sick leave, and paid company holidays. - 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% employer match. - Equity included–we believe builders should share in what they build. - Free daily catered lunch, snacks, and drinks in‑office. - Collaboration with top‑tier engineers, researchers, and product experts in AI and robotics. - Freedom to influence the product and own key initiatives. For this role in Massachusetts, the target base salary range is $200K–$300K USD per year; your placement in that range depends on how your experience maps to our internal leveling.