Toyota Research Institute · 7 hours ago
Research Scientist, Robotics VLAs Post-Training and Adaptation
Los Altos, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$176K/yr - $264K/yrToyota Research Institute (TRI) is dedicated to improving the quality of human life through advanced technology. They are seeking a creative and technically strong researcher to advance post-training methods for Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models in robotics, focusing on improving model alignment, robustness, and adaptability in real-world settings.
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Responsibilities
Post-training and adaptation: Design and implement post-training pipelines for VLA models using techniques such as reinforcement learning (RL), reinforcement learning from human or preference feedback (RLHF/RLAIF) , in-context learning. Experience with real-world RL is a plus!
Sim-to-real transfer: Develop methods to enhance real-world transferability of policies trained in simulation
Reset-free and continual learning: Explore and implement reset-free and autonomous data collection strategies that enable continual skill improvement without manual resets or supervision. Learn continually under settings with large-scale, long term data collection
Structured exploration: Investigate exploration algorithms that balance safety, curiosity, and efficiency for data gathering in both simulation and real-world robotic systems
Data curation and feedback loops: Lead the design of data collection and curation pipelines for exploration and post-training, using multimodal data from demonstrations, teleoperation, and on-policy rollouts
Collaborate across teams in perception, control, and ML infrastructure to deploy scalable and reproducible research systems
Publish research outcomes and contribute to the open robotics and embodied AI communities
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. or M.S. in Robotics, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, or related field, or equivalent applied research experience
Expertise in reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and multimodal representation learning
Strong proficiency with deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX) and robotics simulation environments (e.g., MuJoCo, IsaacSim, PyBullet, Habitat)
Experience with sim-to-real transfer, policy adaptation, or continual learning in embodied settings
Strong coding and experimental skills with an emphasis on reproducibility and evaluation at scale
Prior robotics experience with real-world hardware and ML-based robot deployments
Preferred
Prior work on VLA models (e.g., PI0/PI0.5, OpenVLA, custom models)
Experience building or managing robot data collection infrastructure
Familiarity with real-world robot platforms (e.g., Franka, Humanoids, or mobile manipulators)
Publications in top-tier conferences (CoRL, RSS, NeurIPS, ICLR, ICML, ICRA, CVPR)
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) eligibility
Paid time off benefits (including vacation, sick time, and parental leave)
Annual cash bonus structure
Company
Toyota Research Institute
Toyota Research Institute is an R&D enterprise with an initial focus on artificial intelligence and robotics.
Founded in 2016
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Toyota Research Institute has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
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Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (10)
2020 (7)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Gill Pratt
CEO
Phillip Zackler
Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel
Recent News
2025-12-18
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