Lab Engineer, Frontier AI & Robotics

Amazon.com Inc

San Francisco, CA

JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Bridge Building, Building Systems, CAD/CAM (Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Aided Manufacturing), Component Assembly, Debugging Skills, Develop Methodologies, Documentation, Documentation Standards, Electrical Design, Equipment Maintenance/Repair, Failure Analysis, Hardware Administration, Hardware-Software Integration, Identify Issues, Integration Testing, International Operations, Inventory Management, Laboratory Equipment, Laboratory Operations, Machining, Mechanical Assembly, Mechanical Design, Multiplatform/Cross-Platform, Operational Support, Peripheral Hardware, Prototyping, Quality Assurance Methodology, Quality Engineering, Regulatory Compliance, Research & Development (R&D), Robotics, Safety Compliance, Schematics, Software Design, Strategic Planning, System Validation, Technical Writing, Test Design, Test Fixtures, Test Plan/Schedule, Testability, Validation Testing, Writing Skills
LOCATION
San Francisco, CA
POSTED
28 days ago

Join our Frontier AI & Robotics team to support the hardware integration of next-generation robotic systems that will transform how robots perceive and interact with the world. You"ll take ownership of hands-on hardware assembly, software integration, and system validation tasks across advanced actuators, precision sensors, and robotic subsystems - ensuring they work seamlessly together to support breakthrough AI research and real-world deployment.

Key job responsibilities

  • Assembly, Integration & DFx - Assemble and integrate robotic hardware (actuators, sensors, vision systems, machined components). Execute assembly processes and test protocols developed with engineering. Provide DFM/DFA feedback and perform simple mechanical/electrical/software design tasks; support integration/debug and partner with engineers to optimize manufacturability and testability.
  • R&D Prototype Test & Validation - Validate hardware revisions, verify mechanical assemblies, power sequencing, communication interfaces, and peripherals during bring-up.
  • Debugging & Failure Analysis - Troubleshoot and root-cause issues across the robotic platform (power, compute, comms, actuators, sensors). Conduct failure analysis from component to system level. Reproduce critical failures, interpret schematics, and bridge communication between the lab and engineering teams.
  • Technical Documentation - Author and maintain runbooks, failure analysis reports, assembly guides, and troubleshooting guides; uphold consistent documentation standards across the lab.
  • Mechanical Design Support - Perform simple R&D design tasks and test fixture design in CAD, ensuring quality and alignment with engineering priorities.
  • Lab Operations Support - Support machine shop capabilities, equipment maintenance, inventory management, vendor coordination, and safety/regulatory compliance.
  • Test Capability Development - Develop test methodologies, design jigs/fixtures, support hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and streamline failure-to-resolution workflows.

A day in the life

Your focus centers on the hardware and software that powers our advanced robotic platforms. You"ll execute high degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic prototype assembly and validation, working alongside engineers and fellow technicians. Your responsibilities include building, debugging, validating prototype, performing critical component and assembly quality assessments, providing DFM/DFA feedback to engineers, and designing test jigs and fixtures.

Throughout the day, you balance complex assemblies and integration testing while handling urgent prototyping requests, documentation updates, and preparation for upcoming milestones. You"re switching between working at the bench, collaborating in design reviews with engineers, and ensuring lab safety and equipment maintenance.

About the team

At Frontier AI & Robotics, we"re not just advancing robotics - we"re reimagining it from the ground up. Our team is building the future of intelligent robotics through frontier foundation models and end-to-end learned systems. We tackle some of the most challenging problems in AI and robotics, from developing sophisticated perception systems to creating adaptive manipulation strategies that work in complex, real-world scenarios.

What sets us apart is our unique combination of ambitious research vision and practical impact. We leverage Amazon"s computational infrastructure and rich real-world datasets to train and deploy state-of-the-art foundation models. Our work spans the full spectrum of robotics intelligence - from multimodal perception using images, videos, and sensor data, to sophisticated manipulation strategies that can handle diverse real-world scenarios. We"re building systems that don"t just work in the lab, but scale to meet the demands of Amazon"s global operations.

Join us if you"re excited about pushing the boundaries of what"s possible in robotics, working with world-class researchers, and seeing your innovations deployed at unprecedented scale.

About the Company

A

Amazon.com Inc

At Amazon, we don’t wait for the next big idea to present itself. We envision the shape of impossible things and then we boldly make them reality. So far, this mindset has helped us achieve some incredible things. Let’s build new systems, challenge the status quo, and design the world we want to live in. We believe the work you do here will be the best work of your life.

Wherever you are in your career exploration, Amazon likely has an opportunity for you. Our research scientists and engineers shape the future of natural language understanding with Alexa. Fulfillment center associates around the globe send customer orders from our warehouses to doorsteps. Product managers set feature requirements, strategy, and marketing messages for brand new customer experiences. And as we grow, we’ll add jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

It’s Always Day 1
At Amazon, it’s always “Day 1.” Now, what does this mean and why does it matter? It means that our approach remains the same as it was on Amazon’s very first day – to make smart, fast decisions, stay nimble, invent, and stay focused on delighting our customers. In our 2016 shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos shared his thoughts on how to keep up a Day 1 company mindset. “Staying in Day 1 requires you to experiment patiently, accept failures, plant seeds, protect saplings, and double down when you see customer delight,” he wrote. “A customer-obsessed culture best creates the conditions where all of that can happen.” You can read the full letter here

Our Leadership Principles
Our Leadership Principles help us keep a Day 1 mentality. They aren’t just a pretty inspirational wall hanging. Amazonians use them, every day, whether they’re discussing ideas for new projects, deciding on the best solution for a customer’s problem, or interviewing candidates. To read through our Leadership Principles from Customer Obsession to Bias for Action, visit https://www.amazon.jobs/principles
COMPANY SIZE
10,000 employees or more
INDUSTRY
Retail
FOUNDED
1994
WEBSITE
http://Amazon.com/militaryroles