Robotics Engineer
US$215,500 – US$364,500 / yr base salary
Posted 8 May 2026
Advertised as “Staff Robotics Engineer / Tech Lead – Whole-Body Control & Robot Learning”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- People management
- Contract
- Full-time
| Base salary | US$215,500 – US$364,500 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics (or related)
Study levelMaster's or higher
XPENG is a leading smart technology company at the forefront of innovation, integrating advanced AI and autonomous driving technologies into its vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and robotics. With a strong focus on intelligent mobility, XPENG is dedicated to reshaping the future of transportation through cutting-edge R&D in AI, machine learning, and smart connectivity. We are now expanding into the development of general-purpose humanoid robots aimed at automating repetitive tasks and assisting people in their daily lives. We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Robotics Engineer / Tech Lead to join our US robotics team. This role is ideal for a strong hands-on engineer who can contribute deeply to humanoid robot control, whole-body motion generation, robot learning, and sim-to-real deployment, while helping coordinate technical direction and mentor a small team. The ideal candidate brings strong engineering judgment, clear communication, and the ability to help other engineers move faster and make better technical decisions.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop control and learning-based algorithms for humanoid robot locomotion, whole-body control, motion generation, and sim-to-real transfer.
- Contribute to the technical direction of the robotics team by identifying key problems, proposing practical solutions, and helping prioritize engineering efforts.
- Work with simulation, software, hardware, AI, data, and China-based engineering teams to translate robot performance goals into executable plans.
- Mentor other engineers through design reviews, code reviews, experiments, and technical discussions.
Minimum Requirements:
- Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- 5+ years of relevant experience in reinforcement learning**, robotics**, robot learning, control systems, or related areas.
- Strong background in robot dynamics, control, motion planning, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or whole-body control.
- Familiarity with modern robot learning methods such as PPO, SAC, behavior cloning, diffusion policies, imitation learning, etc.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work across disciplines, locations, and organizational boundaries.
- Strong ownership mindset and ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving, ambiguous, research-to-product environment.