Research Scientist Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Research Scientist jobs in San Francisco are concentrated across biotech, pharmaceuticals, AI, and academic medical research, with hiring centered in Mission Bay, SoMa, and the Dogpatch. Employers posting roles right now include Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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About Tutor
We believe robots are the biggest lever we have to making the physical world a better, more affordable place. But robots are a rounding error in our society: nearly nine out of ten American factories and warehouses don’t even have a single robot, and robots have yet to make their way into our homes or places of business.
Tutor Intelligence is changing that.
Tutor is a robotics research and deployment company, building generally capable robot hardware and artificial intelligence to enable robots to go where no robots have gone before. Sonny is a semi-humanoid robot with frontier dexterity approaching the human form. Cassie does back-breaking work, moving boxes, pallets, and bulk goods for businesses from family-owned manufacturers to some of the largest brands in the world. Tutor robots are manufactured at scale and operate as a network, combining the whole fleet’s learned experience to train ever more capable robot artificial intelligence.
Founded at MIT and headquartered in Watertown, MA, our team is full stack: we design and manufacture robot hardware, train our own models, work directly with the smallest and largest end-customers, and maintain our fleet across the United States. We’re a team of researchers, engineers, technicians, operators, and sellers who love building things and solving hard problems.
Our mission is grand: robots everywhere, for the common good, raising the standard of living across North America, and then the world.
The Role
Are you tired of writing incremental code for massive CRUD web-apps? Do you want to build systems from the ground up that effect change in the physical world, not just the digital one? At Tutor, we are motivated by atoms not electrons: every line of code you write has a real world impact at the foundation of our global economy, solving the core technical problems to evolve humanity and society to the next level.
Tutor Intelligence builds software to enable ordinary robots to achieve extraordinary things. As a research scientist, your work lies at the center of this challenge, building the AI algorithms and systems that drive novel capabilities in the lab and in the field.
At the core, we are looking for motivated and curious individuals who have exceptionally strong programming fundamentals. Experience in specific technical stacks or with robotics/ML are helpful but not requirements: whatever shape your skill set is, Tutor engineers and researchers shape their own roles to best tackle the frontier of robotics development.
Requirements
- Exceptionally strong programming skills and comfort in one or more programming languages
- Natural collaborator, excited to work closely around a whiteboard in a team setting
- Excited by the future full of robots and a reshaped physical economy
- Not afraid to step foot in a factory or a warehouse
Nice to haves (zero or more)
- Advanced proficiency with Python and/or Typescript + React
- Experience with robot arms / manipulation
- Experience with motion planning and robot optimization
- Experience with perception or computer vision (deep or classical)
- Experience with infra and devtools (systemd, Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with hardware / software integration
Why Tutor?
Whether you’re designing robots, closing deals, running deployments, or creating the processes that help us scale, your work doesn’t sit on a shelf. It shows up on real production floors, making physical work safer and more affordable.
Our team of 160+ is driven by curiosity and a genuine love of building. Everyone here takes real ownership, learns fast, and holds a high bar while having each other’s backs. If you love hard problems and creating things that didn’t exist before, you’ll fit right in.
Benefits
We take care of our team so they can do their best work. At Tutor, you’ll get:
- Fully employer-covered health insurance, so you’re protected without the premium.
- A managed 401(k) to help you plan for the future.
- Generous time off: unlimited PTO and all federal holidays off for full-time salaried employees, and 16+ days of accrued paid time off plus 1.5x pay on federal holidays for hourly employees.
- Regular in-office meals and team social events throughout the year.
As Tutor grows, so will our benefits. We’re continuing to invest in ways to support our team at work and beyond.
Tutor Intelligence is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
About Tutor
We believe robots are the biggest lever we have to making the physical world a better, more affordable place. But robots are a rounding error in our society: nearly nine out of ten American factories and warehouses don’t even have a single robot, and robots have yet to make their way into our homes or places of business.
Tutor Intelligence is changing that.
Tutor is a robotics research and deployment company, building generally capable robot hardware and artificial intelligence to enable robots to go where no robots have gone before. Sonny is a semi-humanoid robot with frontier dexterity approaching the human form. Cassie does back-breaking work, moving boxes, pallets, and bulk goods for businesses from family-owned manufacturers to some of the largest brands in the world. Tutor robots are manufactured at scale and operate as a network, combining the whole fleet’s learned experience to train ever more capable robot artificial intelligence.
Founded at MIT and headquartered in Watertown, MA, our team is full stack: we design and manufacture robot hardware, train our own models, work directly with the smallest and largest end-customers, and maintain our fleet across the United States. We’re a team of researchers, engineers, technicians, operators, and sellers who love building things and solving hard problems.
Our mission is grand: robots everywhere, for the common good, raising the standard of living across North America, and then the world.
The Role
Are you tired of writing incremental code for massive CRUD web-apps? Do you want to build systems from the ground up that effect change in the physical world, not just the digital one? At Tutor, we are motivated by atoms not electrons: every line of code you write has a real world impact at the foundation of our global economy, solving the core technical problems to evolve humanity and society to the next level.
Tutor Intelligence builds software to enable ordinary robots to achieve extraordinary things. As a research scientist, your work lies at the center of this challenge, building the AI algorithms and systems that drive novel capabilities in the lab and in the field.
At the core, we are looking for motivated and curious individuals who have exceptionally strong programming fundamentals. Experience in specific technical stacks or with robotics/ML are helpful but not requirements: whatever shape your skill set is, Tutor engineers and researchers shape their own roles to best tackle the frontier of robotics development.
Requirements
- Exceptionally strong programming skills and comfort in one or more programming languages
- Natural collaborator, excited to work closely around a whiteboard in a team setting
- Excited by the future full of robots and a reshaped physical economy
- Not afraid to step foot in a factory or a warehouse
Nice to haves (zero or more)
- Advanced proficiency with Python and/or Typescript + React
- Experience with robot arms / manipulation
- Experience with motion planning and robot optimization
- Experience with perception or computer vision (deep or classical)
- Experience with infra and devtools (systemd, Docker, Kubernetes)
- Experience with hardware / software integration
Why Tutor?
Whether you’re designing robots, closing deals, running deployments, or creating the processes that help us scale, your work doesn’t sit on a shelf. It shows up on real production floors, making physical work safer and more affordable.
Our team of 160+ is driven by curiosity and a genuine love of building. Everyone here takes real ownership, learns fast, and holds a high bar while having each other’s backs. If you love hard problems and creating things that didn’t exist before, you’ll fit right in.
Benefits
We take care of our team so they can do their best work. At Tutor, you’ll get:
- Fully employer-covered health insurance, so you’re protected without the premium.
- A managed 401(k) to help you plan for the future.
- Generous time off: unlimited PTO and all federal holidays off for full-time salaried employees, and 16+ days of accrued paid time off plus 1.5x pay on federal holidays for hourly employees.
- Regular in-office meals and team social events throughout the year.
As Tutor grows, so will our benefits. We’re continuing to invest in ways to support our team at work and beyond.
Tutor Intelligence is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
See All 448+ Research Scientist Jobs in San Francisco
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Find Research Scientist JobsResearch Scientist Job Market in San Francisco
Who's Hiring
- Anthropic69
- OpenAI64
- Meta18
- Goodfire14G
- Merge Labs14
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software59
- Science & Research46
- Artificial Intelligence32
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals14
- Education9
Research Scientist Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a research scientist job in San Francisco?
Target Mission Bay and SoMa first, where biotech firms, academic medical centers, and AI labs concentrate the most openings. A strong publication record or industry-relevant lab experience carries weight here, and familiarity with translational research or applied machine learning gives candidates a clear edge. Networking through UCSF-affiliated events or Bay Area biotech meetups opens doors that cold applications often do not.
Which companies hire research scientists in San Francisco?
San Francisco research scientist roles are posted by Anthropic, OpenAI, and Meta and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. The local market is anchored by biotech startups, academic health systems, and AI-focused technology companies, many of which cluster in Mission Bay and SoMa.
Are there remote research scientist jobs in San Francisco?
Yes, though availability depends heavily on the type of work: computational, data-intensive, or analytical roles often support remote arrangements, while wet-lab and clinical research roles require on-site presence. About 62% of research scientist openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of November 2026. In San Francisco specifically, AI and bioinformatics roles account for the largest share of remote-eligible postings.
How can I get a research scientist job in San Francisco with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Francisco is through a postdoctoral appointment or a research associate role at UCSF, a Mission Bay biotech, or an AI lab in SoMa. These positions build the publication record and technical credentials that local employers expect before promoting into scientist titles. Internships at early-stage biotech startups are also a practical route, since smaller teams assign broader responsibilities than large pharma.
Which industries hire the most research scientists in San Francisco?
The sectors hiring the most research scientists in San Francisco are Technology & Software, Science & Research, and Artificial Intelligence, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Francisco's concentration of UCSF facilities, biotech venture capital, and AI-focused technology companies drives sustained demand across those fields.
Related Jobs in California
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