(Senior) AI Engineer Reinforcement Learning Manipulation
Job Location:
Zürich - Switzerland
Monthly Salary:
Posted:
Application Deadline:
Vacancies:
Job Summary
RIVR part of Amazon is a robotics company pioneering Physical AI through real-world doorstep delivery. Founded in 2024 as an ETH Zurich spin-off RIVR developed wheeled-legged robots designed to operate in complex unstructured environments such as stairs gates doors and uneven urban terrain. We believe that achieving general physical intelligence requires solving real customer problems in the real world where robots can learn from rich operational data at scale.
Following our acquisition by Amazon in March 2026 we are continuing this mission with greater reach and speed. By combining custom robot hardware onboard autonomy and cloud-based coordination RIVR part of Amazon is building the next generation of safe reliable autonomous robots for last-mile delivery
Develop cutting-edge reinforcement learning algorithms to enable robust contact-rich dexterous manipulation translating vision depth tactile and proprioceptive sensor input into precise end-effector and joint-level motor commands.
Design test and refine algorithms to solve complex real-world manipulation challenges such as handling diverse package form factors dynamic hand-offs and operating door handles or latches.
Collaborate with the foundation model team to innovate methods that leverage both simulated and real-world data.
- Strong background in robotic manipulation including dynamics grasp synthesis and trajectory optimization.
- Masters degree or higher in a relevant field such as Engineering Robotics or Machine Learning.
- A minimum of five years of industry or research experience with PhD experience applicable.
- Strong deep learning fundamentals including supervised and self-supervised learning techniques and reinforcement learning including Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) neural network architectures policy optimization algorithms model-based vs. model-free RL exploration-exploitation strategies value function methods transfer learning domain adaptation sim-to-real transfer etc.
- Strong background in robotics including autonomy and/or manipulation.
- Experience with deploying artificial neural networks on hardware platforms.
- Ability to write production-level code in modern C.
- Ability to prototype algorithms and train deep neural networks in Python.
- PhD degree in Robotics Engineering Computer Science Machine Learning or a similar discipline or an equivalent amount of research experience.
Publications at top-tier conferences (e.g. ICRA IROS CoRL RSS) specifically focusing on robotic manipulation grasping or contact-rich RL.
Demonstrated experience working with tactile sensing multi-fingered robotic hands or bimanual manipulation.
Required Experience:
Senior IC
About Company
Discover RIVR's innovative Physical AI solutions revolutionizing last-mile delivery. Our autonomous robots ensure faster, safer, and sustainable deliveries of parcels, groceries, and meals
