Hybrid Principal Research Scientist

We are hiring awesome humans, and we hope that includes you! Are you looking for more than just a job? At Chewy, you’ll find yourself on a career path with other awesome humans, like yourself. You’ll be part of a culture that values everything that you do, who you are, and the goals you have set for your career. We want to give you the opportunity to grow, earn competitive pay, and be happy while you do it. Sounds simple, but we love it. Your Opportunity: We are hiring a Principal Research Scientist in Woburn, MA to join Chewy Robotics, focused on developing a robot orchestration system that will coordinate fleets of humanoid robots in Chewy’s fulfillment centers. You will help define and build the systems that enable autonomous robots to operate safely and efficiently alongside human team members. This includes work on real-time task allocation, multi-agent path finding, federated learning, safety validation, and integration with Chewy’s broader warehouse infrastructure. You will be expected to be a leader in your scientific field, regularly publishing peer-reviewed research, presenting at top conferences, managing relationships with academic collaborators, and raising the bar for scientific rigor across Chewy. Your work will help lay the foundation for future fulfillment operations that are highly automated, adaptable, and safe. We are especially interested in candidates with expertise in optimization, control theory, reinforcement learning, estimation theory including Kalman or particle filtering, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). You will mentor a team of scientists and engineers and collaborate to design experiments, develop algorithms, and publish technical results that advance both Chewy’s internal capabilities and the broader field of physical AI. What You’ll Do:

• Own and deliver the end-to-end architecture for humanoid robot orchestration, including multi-agent task assignment, real-time path planning, and fleet coordination with provable safety guarantees
• Architect and implement control strategies across multiple levels—from low-level motor control to high-level fleet behavior—optimized for dynamic warehouse environments and integrated with Chewy’s warehouse management systems
• Invent, patent, and publish new techniques in robot management, multi-agent coordination, and data-driven control that advance the state of the art and raise Chewy’s visibility in the field of physical AI
• Establish and grow academic partnerships, manage sponsored research projects, and actively engage with the broader research community through conference presentations, invited talks, and journal publications
• Design and validate safety-critical behaviors and control loops for humanoid robots operating in human-centric spaces, including development of real-time monitoring, hazard mitigation protocols, and compliant actuation strategies
• Influence and align cross-functional engineering teams—spanning software, robotics, infrastructure, and safety—to execute your scientific roadmap and integrate robot orchestration capabilities into Chewy’s operations
• Contribute to the development of robust simulation environments and evaluation benchmarks to support internal experimentation and external publication
• Represent Chewy in external forums including academic conferences, standards bodies, and industry partnerships, to help shape the trajectory of physical AI and strengthen Chewy’s leadership position
• Mentor other scientists and engineers, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, intellectual curiosity, and engineering excellence within the team
• Formulate and implement solutions that require a longer-term view which impact strategic goals and objectives. Results impact multiple functions and may also have company-wide effect
• Exercise wide latitude in determining objectives and approaches to critical assignments. Create formal networks with key decision makers and drive the strategy and success of larger projects which contribute to multiple areas of the organization
• Occasional travel required to support your research agenda including conference attendance, fulfillment center visits, and onsite meetings with academic collaborators

What You’ll Need:

• 10+ years of relevant experience
• An advanced degree (PhD preferred) in Engineering, Computer Science, Operations Research, Statistics, Applied Mathematics, or an equivalent quantitative field
• Proven track record of leading projects independently and ability to provide technical and thought leadership
• Proven ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team to achieve objectives
• Evidence of acting as a widely recognized expert and thought leader by both internal and external communities
• Contributions to peer-reviewed publications in top-tier robotics, machine learning, or systems conferences (e.g., RSS, ICRA, CoRL, NeurIPS, ACC)

Bonus:

• Open-source contributions or leadership in robotics software libraries or academic benchmarking initiatives
• Experience building and deploying reinforcement learning or imitation learning systems on physical robots, particularly for manipulation or locomotion
• Strong programming skills in Python and C++, with experience developing high-performance robotics or ML infrastructure
• Familiarity with robotics middleware such as ROS2, and experience integrating perception, planning, and control modules
• Familiarity with warehouse management systems and automation approaches for logistics operations.

What You’ll Get:

• A place where you can be your authentic self and grow your career. Our pet parents and partners are from everywhere--different places and different walks of life. It is what makes them unique. Likewise, Chewtopians are encouraged to bring their perspectives to deliver on our mission!
• Work in a culture that cares, with managers who value you and your career journey. Be empowered to think big, thrive on delivering results, and to become your best.
• Development of meaningful connections with a diverse group of Chewtopians through Team Member Resource Groups and celebrate inclusivity with various company events, programs, and activities.​​​​​​​
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision benefits, in addition to wellness programs and resources, enabling you to be your best self in and outside of work.

Chewy is committed to equal opportunity. We value and embrace diversity and inclusion of all Team Members. If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law, and you need an accommodation during the application process or to perform these job requirements, or if you need a religious accommodation, please contact [email protected]. If you have a question regarding your application, please contact [email protected]. To access Chewy's Customer Privacy Policy, please click here. To access Chewy's California CPRA Job Applicant Privacy Policy, please click here. Apply To this Job Apply for this job