Simulation Engineer, Humanoids & Manipulation

About the Role

We’re partnering with a well-funded, early-stage AI startup in San Francisco building simulation technology and synthetic data for embodied AI. They create high-fidelity simulations and 3D assets to generate synthetic training data for leading robotics companies. The simulation team is growing quickly due to strong customer demand.

Key Responsibilities

• Build high-fidelity robotics simulations and photorealistic 3D digital assets at scale with Blender and Python.
• Design and own pipelines that create, run, and evaluate simulated environments.
• Model robot dynamics, physics, and contact for humanoids, manipulators, and robotic arms.
• Generate synthetic training datasets used by robotics teams.
• Collaborate closely with a research-heavy team at the cutting edge of embodied AI.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Deep hands-on Blender + Python experience as the core of your work, with a proven track record of building 3D assets, digital twins, or asset pipelines that others rely on.
• A track record of building simulation systems or infrastructure, either in a PhD/MS program or in industry.
• Your main output has been simulation systems, digital assets, or synthetic data, rather than perception, controls, or deployment software.

Qualifications

Candidates will follow one of these two paths:

• Research Track:
• MS/PhD (or BS) in CS, Mechanical Engineering, or Robotics from a leading program, with high-fidelity simulation central to your research. New graduates are welcome.
• Industry Track:
• Hands-on simulation work at a robotics, humanoid, AI, or big-tech robotics team.

Nice to have:

• Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, PyBullet, Gazebo, Drake, or NVIDIA Omniverse.
• Sim-to-real calibration against real robot behavior.
• Experience with humanoids, manipulators, or robotic arms.
• Startup experience.