Embodied AI Real2Sim Engineer

Maxinsights
Santa Clara, US
On-site

Who this role is best for

Geared toward candidates comfortable with simulation pipeline development and physical parameter calibration, working in robotics and AI domains with a focus on cross-functional collaboration in Santa Clara.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with simulation pipeline development experience and a background in robotics or AI research
    — “Build the digital pipeline from the real world to simulation space”
  • Individuals who can independently configure and validate robot assets with physical parameters
    — “capable of independently building, configuring and validating robot or object assets”
  • Professionals with a strong grasp of 3D reconstruction and multi-modal data processing techniques
    — “Process multi-modal real-world captured data: camera calibration, point cloud & mesh processing”

Things to consider

  • This role demands strong attention to detail in sim-real alignment and calibration protocols
    — “Document asset specifications, calibration workflows and evaluation metrics”
  • Candidates should be prepared for ongoing collaboration with multiple engineering teams
    — “Collaborate with perception, robot learning, simulation engine and hardware teams”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience with USD / URDF / MJCF standards and asset validation pipelines
    — “experience building asset libraries and automated asset validation pipelines”
  • Showcase skills in system identification and modeling nonlinear joint dynamics
    — “calibrate and reproduce non-ideal dynamic behaviors including nonlinear joint friction”
  • Emphasize hands-on work with real-world data and simulation engines like Isaac Sim and MuJoCo
    — “Own the end-to-end Real2Sim workflow based on Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Genesis, Blender”
  • Demonstrate ability to design and execute benchmark experiments for sim-real alignment
    — “design quantitative sim-real benchmark experiments”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • build and validate SimReady assets
  • reduce sim-to-real gap
  • improve calibration protocols
Typical background
computer graphicsroboticssimulation engines

Skills & requirements

Required

Simulation Engines3D ReconstructionRigid-body DynamicsPhysics Simulation EnginesSystem IdentificationParameter Calibration

Preferred

Real2sim PipelinesRobotic ArmsDexterous HandsHumanoid RobotsUSD / URDF / MJCFPython / C++

Stack & domain

Isaac SimMujocoGenesisBlenderComputer GraphicsRigid-body DynamicsPhysics Simulation Engines3D ReconstructionCamera ImagingPoint Cloud ProcessingCamera CalibrationSystem IdentificationParameter CalibrationContact/friction ModelsPBR RenderingMaterial CreationPythonC++AISimulationRobotics

About the role

Original posting from Maxinsights via Ashby

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Core Objective: Build the digital pipeline from the real world to simulation space. Reconstruct and calibrate visual and physical properties of robots, objects and scenes, and deliver SimReady interactive assets to reduce the sim-to-real gap, supporting algorithm training, simulation evaluation and policy transfer to real hardware.

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Own the end-to-end Real2Sim workflow based on Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Genesis, Blender and other simulation platforms, including 3D reconstruction, appearance reconstruction, dynamic identification, calibration of contact, friction and inertia parameters, to align dynamic and perceptual behaviors between simulation and real robots.
  • Create, validate and iterate SimReady assets following USD / URDF / MJCF standards. Configure joints, collision shapes, mass/inertia, joint limits, semantic labels and affordance properties for robots and interactive objects, to achieve physical parameter calibration of simulation assets, ensuring stable usability in simulation training.
  • Process multi-modal real-world captured data: camera calibration, point cloud & mesh processing, texture and PBR material calibration. Leverage 3DGS / NeRF and related reconstruction methods to digitize real scenes and export assets compatible with simulation engines.
  • Develop automated tools for calibration, data processing and asset quality inspection. Document asset specifications, calibration workflows and evaluation metrics to improve pipeline throughput and sim-real alignment accuracy.
  • Collaborate with perception, robot learning, simulation engine and hardware teams, design quantitative sim-real benchmark experiments, identify simulation bias, and continuously improve calibration protocols and asset standards for closed-loop data iteration.
  • Design excitation trajectories for robot system identification, collect time-series dynamic data from physical robots, calibrate and reproduce non-ideal dynamic behaviors including nonlinear joint friction and transmission backlash.

REQUIREMENTS

MUST-HAVE

  • Proficiency in at least one simulation/graphics tool such as Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, Genesis or Blender, with solid understanding of computer graphics and rigid-body dynamics. Familiar with physics simulation engines such as PhysX and Newton.
  • Hands-on experience with Real2Sim pipelines and SimReady asset standards; capable of independently building, configuring and validating robot or object assets including joint setup and physical property tuning.
  • Knowledge of 3D reconstruction, camera imaging, point cloud processing and camera calibration; fundamental understanding of system identification, parameter calibration and contact/friction models for physical simulation. Familiar with PBR rendering and material creation.
  • Ability to decompose requirements, implement technical solutions, run comparative experiments and root-cause sim-real mismatches from visual reconstruction or physical simulation.
  • Capable of designing dynamic system identification experiments, analyzing measured hardware data, and quantifying sim-real errors introduced by nonlinear dynamics.

NICE-TO-HAVE

  • Proven track record delivering Real2Sim projects, especially for robotic arms, dexterous hands or humanoid robots.
  • Deep familiarity with USD / URDF / MJCF, experience building asset libraries and automated asset validation pipelines.
  • Skilled in Python / C++ for calibration scripts, engine extensions and data processing tools.
  • Experience with 3DGS, NeRF, PBR reconstruction and photogrammetry.
  • Background in system identification, excitation trajectory design, dynamic parameter estimation and contact model tuning.
  • Understanding of Sim2Real, reinforcement learning and embodied AI closed-loop systems.
  • Experience with motion capture, multi-sensor calibration and real robot hardware experiments.
  • Familiar with nonlinear friction models such as LuGre and Stribeck, with experience modeling and tuning joint hysteresis and backlash.

DEFAULT BENEFITS:

  • Health insurance
  • Vision care
  • Dental coverage
  • 401(k)
  • Paid holidays
  • PTO (Paid Time Off)
  • Sick leave

Source: Maxinsights careers (Ashby)

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