Physical Scientist Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Physical scientist jobs in California span national laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley, SLAC, and Lawrence Livermore, aerospace and defense firms in the Los Angeles basin, and university research centers throughout the Bay Area and San Diego. Federal lab contractors, semiconductor companies, and climate research institutions are among the most active sponsors for international candidates in this field.
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Get Access To All JobsThe Position
A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.
Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. Roche’s Research and Early Development organisations at Genentech (gRED) and Pharma (pRED) have demonstrated how these technologies accelerate R&D, leveraging data and novel computational models to drive impact. Seamless data sharing and access to models across gRED and pRED are essential to maximising these opportunities. The new Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic, unified group whose goal is to harness the transformative power of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist our scientists in both pRED and gRED to deliver more innovative and transformative medicines for patients worldwide.
The Opportunity
At Genentech (gRED) and Roche (pRED), we’re applying Physical AI to solve one of humanity’s hardest challenges: building fully autonomous, self-healing laboratories for lights-out drug discovery.
Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. The Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) and the Data and Digital Catalyst (DDC) team are building the foundational platform for autonomous labs – turning state-of-the-art AI into real-world physical action to deliver life-saving medicines to patients faster than ever before.
As a Senior Physical AI & Robotics Scientist, you will be the hands-on technical lead and scientific architect bringing Physical AI to life – deploying 3D perception, multi-physics digital twins, edge vision, and closed-loop control onto state-of-the-art robotic hardware using cutting-edge stacks like NVIDIA Isaac, Omniverse, and Metropolis. If you are inspired by the challenge of bridging foundation models with complex real-world hardware to give robots the spatial awareness and resilience to autonomously solve problems on the lab floor, this is your opportunity to pioneer the next generation of autonomous laboratories at global scale.
In this role, you will:
- Develop 3D computer vision perception pipelines (point clouds, depth maps, pose estimation) and dynamic motion planning algorithms (ROS 2, MoveIt 2, cuMotion) to enable reliable arm manipulation, hand-eye calibration, grasping, and AMR navigation in dynamic workcells.
- Build multi-physics simulation environments (NVIDIA Isaac Sim/Lab, Newton Engine) to model robot-labware interactions, evaluate LLM-generated execution plans inside digital twins before deployment, and train policy recovery models.
- Apply system identification, domain randomization, and sim-to-real tuning to ensure simulation-trained control policies execute predictably on physical hardware.
- Fine-tune multimodal Vision AI models (VLMs, NVIDIA Cosmos) using synthetic failure datasets (Isaac Sim) for real-time detection of lab anomaly modes (spills, bubbles, dropped microplates, tilted lids, tip-pick misses).
- Optimize low-latency inference with TensorRT on NVIDIA Jetson (Thor/Orin) edge hardware, combining visual servoing and closed-loop feedback control so systems self-correct without halting master workflows.
- Harness OpenUSD scene graphs to represent workcell geometry and state, integrating synchronization services to link executable digital twins across heterogeneous hardware APIs (SiLA 2, gRPC, vendor SDKs).
Who You Are
Core Qualifications & Experience
- MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field with 5+ years of experience, or a PhD with 2+ years of experience in deploying Physical AI or robotics solutions.
- Strong interest in translating physical AI capabilities into biological workflows and drug discovery pipelines.
- Passionate builder with a proven track record of taking real-world robotic manipulation and sim-to-real systems beyond demonstrations into sustained operation.
- Strong background in 3D computer vision, kinematics, motion planning (ROS 2, MoveIt 2, cuMotion), and modern machine learning frameworks (PyTorch) with strong C++/Python skills.
- Hands-on experience with robotics simulation and robot-learning frameworks (NVIDIA Isaac Sim/Lab, Newton, MuJoCo, Drake, Gazebo) and sim-to-real validation methods.
- Experience training or fine-tuning vision/multimodal models (VLMs, Cosmos) and optimizing neural networks with TensorRT for edge hardware (Jetson Thor/Orin).
- Proficiency with visual servoing, closed-loop controllers, and hardware API integration (gRPC, SiLA 2, vendor SDKs).
Preferred but not required
- Hands-on experience with OpenUSD scene graphs, custom USD schemas, or NVIDIA Omniverse workflows.
- Experience working with high-throughput lab automation hardware, manipulators, or liquid handlers (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Precise Automation, UR arms).
- Background in imitation learning, reinforcement learning, or robot foundation models for contact-rich manipulation and recovery.
- A public portfolio of real-world projects on GitHub/GitLab showcasing work in robotics, simulation, or physical AI.
Relocation benefits are NOT available for this opportunity.
The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of San Francisco is $168,100 - 312,300 of hiring range. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.
Benefits
Genentech is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.
If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants.
The Position
A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.
Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. Roche’s Research and Early Development organisations at Genentech (gRED) and Pharma (pRED) have demonstrated how these technologies accelerate R&D, leveraging data and novel computational models to drive impact. Seamless data sharing and access to models across gRED and pRED are essential to maximising these opportunities. The new Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic, unified group whose goal is to harness the transformative power of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist our scientists in both pRED and gRED to deliver more innovative and transformative medicines for patients worldwide.
The Opportunity
At Genentech (gRED) and Roche (pRED), we’re applying Physical AI to solve one of humanity’s hardest challenges: building fully autonomous, self-healing laboratories for lights-out drug discovery.
Advances in AI, data, and computational sciences are transforming drug discovery and development. The Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CoE) and the Data and Digital Catalyst (DDC) team are building the foundational platform for autonomous labs – turning state-of-the-art AI into real-world physical action to deliver life-saving medicines to patients faster than ever before.
As a Senior Physical AI & Robotics Scientist, you will be the hands-on technical lead and scientific architect bringing Physical AI to life – deploying 3D perception, multi-physics digital twins, edge vision, and closed-loop control onto state-of-the-art robotic hardware using cutting-edge stacks like NVIDIA Isaac, Omniverse, and Metropolis. If you are inspired by the challenge of bridging foundation models with complex real-world hardware to give robots the spatial awareness and resilience to autonomously solve problems on the lab floor, this is your opportunity to pioneer the next generation of autonomous laboratories at global scale.
In this role, you will:
- Develop 3D computer vision perception pipelines (point clouds, depth maps, pose estimation) and dynamic motion planning algorithms (ROS 2, MoveIt 2, cuMotion) to enable reliable arm manipulation, hand-eye calibration, grasping, and AMR navigation in dynamic workcells.
- Build multi-physics simulation environments (NVIDIA Isaac Sim/Lab, Newton Engine) to model robot-labware interactions, evaluate LLM-generated execution plans inside digital twins before deployment, and train policy recovery models.
- Apply system identification, domain randomization, and sim-to-real tuning to ensure simulation-trained control policies execute predictably on physical hardware.
- Fine-tune multimodal Vision AI models (VLMs, NVIDIA Cosmos) using synthetic failure datasets (Isaac Sim) for real-time detection of lab anomaly modes (spills, bubbles, dropped microplates, tilted lids, tip-pick misses).
- Optimize low-latency inference with TensorRT on NVIDIA Jetson (Thor/Orin) edge hardware, combining visual servoing and closed-loop feedback control so systems self-correct without halting master workflows.
- Harness OpenUSD scene graphs to represent workcell geometry and state, integrating synchronization services to link executable digital twins across heterogeneous hardware APIs (SiLA 2, gRPC, vendor SDKs).
Who You Are
Core Qualifications & Experience
- MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related technical field with 5+ years of experience, or a PhD with 2+ years of experience in deploying Physical AI or robotics solutions.
- Strong interest in translating physical AI capabilities into biological workflows and drug discovery pipelines.
- Passionate builder with a proven track record of taking real-world robotic manipulation and sim-to-real systems beyond demonstrations into sustained operation.
- Strong background in 3D computer vision, kinematics, motion planning (ROS 2, MoveIt 2, cuMotion), and modern machine learning frameworks (PyTorch) with strong C++/Python skills.
- Hands-on experience with robotics simulation and robot-learning frameworks (NVIDIA Isaac Sim/Lab, Newton, MuJoCo, Drake, Gazebo) and sim-to-real validation methods.
- Experience training or fine-tuning vision/multimodal models (VLMs, Cosmos) and optimizing neural networks with TensorRT for edge hardware (Jetson Thor/Orin).
- Proficiency with visual servoing, closed-loop controllers, and hardware API integration (gRPC, SiLA 2, vendor SDKs).
Preferred but not required
- Hands-on experience with OpenUSD scene graphs, custom USD schemas, or NVIDIA Omniverse workflows.
- Experience working with high-throughput lab automation hardware, manipulators, or liquid handlers (e.g., Hamilton, Tecan, Precise Automation, UR arms).
- Background in imitation learning, reinforcement learning, or robot foundation models for contact-rich manipulation and recovery.
- A public portfolio of real-world projects on GitHub/GitLab showcasing work in robotics, simulation, or physical AI.
Relocation benefits are NOT available for this opportunity.
The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of San Francisco is $168,100 - 312,300 of hiring range. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.
Benefits
Genentech is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.
If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants.
Physical Scientist Job Roles in California
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Search Physical Scientist Jobs in CaliforniaPhysical Scientist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for physical scientists in California?
Federal lab operators and their contractors are among the most consistent sponsors, including Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Beyond national labs, semiconductor firms like Applied Materials and Intel, aerospace contractors in the Los Angeles area, and climate and oceanography research institutions have active sponsorship histories for physical scientist roles in California.
Which visa types realistically fit physical scientist roles in California?
Physical scientist roles in California typically qualify as specialty occupations, making the H-1B visa the most common path. The H-1B requires a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field such as physics, chemistry, or geoscience, and is subject to an annual cap and selection process. Canadian and Mexican nationals do not qualify under TN visa for physical scientist positions. Eligible nationals from Australia may qualify under the E-3 visa, and those from Chile or Singapore may qualify under the H-1B1 visa. For longer-term paths, EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based green cards are available, with most cases requiring a PERM labor certification filed by the employer.
How to find physical scientist visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate lists California employers with verified visa sponsorship histories for physical scientist roles, so you can focus your search on organizations that have actively filed for similar positions. Filtering by city or sub-discipline helps narrow results to national laboratory sites in the Bay Area and East Bay, defense-adjacent employers in Southern California, and university-affiliated research centers in San Diego and Los Angeles.
Which cities in California have the most physical scientist sponsorship jobs?
The San Francisco Bay Area, particularly Berkeley, Livermore, and Menlo Park, concentrates a significant share of physical scientist sponsorship activity due to the density of national laboratories and research universities. San Diego is a secondary hub driven by oceanographic institutions, climate research centers, and defense contractors. Los Angeles and the surrounding region add aerospace and planetary science employers, while Sacramento-area federal agencies contribute additional opportunities.
Are there California-specific considerations for physical scientists seeking visa sponsorship?
California's concentration of Department of Energy national laboratories means many physical scientist positions are tied to federal contracts, which can affect sponsorship timelines and security clearance requirements. Some roles at facilities like Lawrence Livermore require U.S. citizenship or permanent residence, limiting sponsorship options for nonimmigrant visa holders. University-affiliated positions, by contrast, often offer more straightforward sponsorship and may also support J-1 visa exchange visitor arrangements through designated sponsor organizations.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored physical scientist jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.