Posted 12 hours ago
Machine Learning Research Intern (Reinforcement/Imitation Learning)
@ Sanctuary AI
Vancouver, British Columbia
Overview
Sanctuary AI is hiring a machine learning research intern to work on reinforcement and imitation learning for dexterous robotic manipulation on humanoid general-purpose robots. The intern reports to the RL Lead and designs, implements and tests RL/IL algorithms on real robots. Start date and term length are flexible.
Responsibilities:
- Design and implement RL and IL algorithms and test them on real robots
- Improve RL/IL pipelines for sample efficiency, speed and scalability
- Design training and data-collection pipelines for fast robot deployment
- Research and communicate new RL/IL directions to the team
- Work with a multidisciplinary team on novel algorithms
Requirements summary:
- Pursuing MS or PhD in ML, computer science, applied math or related field
- Experience implementing RL and IL methods, focused on robotics or computer vision
- Hands-on experience integrating ML models onto robotics platforms
- Experience with simulation and physical robot manipulation tasks
- Python 3.6+, PyTorch and/or JAX
Tools & skills
Source and dates
Source type not verified · kula
- Employer posting date
- 2026-11-06
- First seen by our source
- 2026-11-06
- Source record updated
- 2026-11-06
These dates describe the source record, not a live verification that the employer is still hiring. Check the original posting.
Job details
| Seniority | Entry level |
| Department | Software development |
| Work setting | Laboratory |
| Position | Sitting and standing |
| Physical demands | physical low · computer high |
| Languages | English |
| Education | Master’s degree (required), Doctorate (required) |
| Fields of study | Machine Learning, Computer Science, Applied Math |
Summary and details written by AI from the posting; the employer’s posting is the authority.
Sanctuary AI
Saved company profile
Historical company information from a saved The Jobs API profile (LinkedIn/Crunchbase fields). It is not live-verified; figures may have changed. Missing values remain unknown.
Creating human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots
Full company description
Sanctuary is on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots that will help us work more safely, efficiently, and sustainably. And in the not-too-distant future, help us explore, settle, and prosper in outer space. Members of the Sanctuary team founded D-Wave (a pioneer in the quantum computing industry), Kindred (first use of reinforcement learning in a production robot), and the Creative Destruction Lab (pioneered a revolutionary method for the commercialization of science for the betterment of humankind). The team has experience launching market-defining innovations rooted in previously unsolved and deep scientific problems.
- LinkedIn followers
- 34,437
- People associated on LinkedIn
- 167
- Reported office locations
- Downtown, Vancouver, BC, CA
- Business categories
- Robotics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Industrial Automation
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Machine Learning
- Other recorded names
- Sanctuary AI
- Specialties
- AI
- Cognition
- Computer Vision
- Machine Learning
- and Robotics
- Profile identifies a recruitment agency
- No
- Reported total investment
- 91,572,048
Currency and observation date were not supplied; this is not a current valuation or a funding round.
Sanctuary is on a mission to create the world’s first human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots that will help us work more safely, efficiently, and sustainably. And in the not-too-distant future, help us explore, settle, and prosper in outer space. Members of the Sanctuary team founded D-Wave (a pioneer in the quantum computing industry), Kindred (first use of reinforcement learning in a production robot)…
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software Development |
| Company size | 51-200 employees |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, BC |
| Organization type | Privately Held |
| Year founded | 2018 |
| Specialties | AICognitionComputer VisionMachine Learningand Robotics |
| Open jobs on Jobsy | 11 |
| View page |
Your New Role and Team
Sanctuary AI, a world leader in building dexterity-driven Physical AI for general purpose robots, is looking to hire a skilled and motivated intern to join our ML team and contribute to our team’s work in engineering and innovating unique robotic manipulation tasks.
Reporting to the RL Lead, you will have the opportunity to tackle a variety of challenges related to the perception, planning, and motion systems for humanoid general-purpose robots.
The best candidates for this role have excellent software development and machine learning skills as well as hands-on experience with robotics. In this role you’ll be a valued contributor and you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the design, architecture, and implementation of the simulation platform and machine learning systems that power our general-purpose robots.
We are flexible regarding both the internship start date and the duration of the term.
Our Success Criteria
Design, implement, and improve state-of-the-art Reinforcement Learning (RL) and Imitation Learning (IL) algorithms and test them in real-world settings
Keep up to date with state-of-the-art RL/IL methodologies and robotics
Identify, communicate, and drive promising research directions to the team
Find ways of improving existing implementations of RL/IL pipelines with regards to standard metrics such as sample efficiency, speed, computational resource usage, and scalability
Design RL/IL training and data-collection pipelines to facilitate fast deployment on physical robots
Work with a multidisciplinary team to develop novel algorithms and investigate sources of errors with existing implementations
Your Experience
Desired Qualifications
Pursuing MS or Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Applied Math, or related field
Experience implementing a variety of RL and IL methods with a focus in a specialization such as computer vision or robotics
Hands-on experience integrating ML models onto a robotics platform
Experience implementing and deploying (dexterous) robotic manipulation tasks in simulation and on physical robots
Experience taking ML R&D and trained models into production
Experience with computer vision systems
Experience in simulation-to-reality transfer learning
Skills
Development with Python 3.6 or later
Working knowledge of PyTorch and/or JAX
Familiarity with ROS2
Extensive knowledge of RL/IL principles and use
Traits
Above all else, a consistently positive attitude and a willingness to do whatever it takes to create robust solutions to complex problems
Optimistic listening and conflict resolution capabilities
Demonstrated ability to influence others without authority
Eager to take on new challenges with tenacity and positivity
Patience, persistence, and attention to detail when resolving performance issues
Obsession with bringing human-like intelligence to machines
Journal
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