Before you apply
Listed location: Boston, MA
Work arrangement: onsite. A remote label does not confirm worldwide eligibility or visa sponsorship.
Read the employer’s description for qualifications, compensation and work eligibility. Confirm the position is still open on the application page.
Job description supplied by Field AI; category and skill labels may be inferred. How our listings work · Report a problem
Job Description
About the Role
Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world. Our R&D team, the FieldAI Research Institute (FAIRI), is based in Cambridge, MA, where we build risk-aware, field-ready AI systems that unlock general purpose intelligence for robotics.
FAIRI is looking for a Senior Data Operations Engineer to run the day-to-day of our data operations function: building the tooling the pipeline runs on, staying hands-on enough to dogfood and stress-test that tooling yourself, and managing the interns and contractors who carry out the bulk of day-to-day collection and annotation. You’ll work directly with the Research Operations Partner to scale FAIRI’s in-house data function, and you’ll set the technical and operational bar the rest of the Data Operations Engineering team is built around.
What You’ll Do
Data Tooling & Infrastructure — 25%
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Build and maintain hardware sensor suites — sensor harnesses, camera arrays, mounting fixtures, wearable sensor stacks (including soldering and cable assembly).
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Write and maintain QA scripts for in-house and vendor data drops.
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Build and maintain annotation software and other internal data tooling.
Data Collection & Annotation — 25%
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Run motion capture, teleoperation, and human-subjects data collection sessions yourself — the fastest way to dogfood and stress-test tooling and protocols before handing them to the team.
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Annotate robotics/AV datasets (object interaction, contact state, multi-agent) against FAIRI’s evaluation framework.
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Use hands-on collection and annotation work to surface tooling gaps and drive the tooling roadmap above.
Team Management & Documentation — 25%
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Manage and schedule data collection interns and contractors; own day-to-day throughput and quality.
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Onboard and train interns/contractors on equipment, SOPs, and the informed-consent process.
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Write and maintain SOPs and other supporting documentation for data collection, annotation, and lab operations.
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Own first-level QC and escalation for intern/contractor output; flag protocol or safety issues.
Technical Demo Support — 25%
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Learn the product stack and operate various robotic platforms to demonstrate FieldAI FFM (Field Foundation Model) capabilities.
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Support demo planning and execution, coordinating with the Research Operations Partner
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Help produce content showcasing FieldAI’s ability to deploy robots on dull, dirty,
and dangerous jobs.
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Troubleshoot hardware and software issues live during demos with important stakeholders.
What You Bring
You don’t need every skill below, but you should bring real, hands-on depth in several of them:
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Soldering and cable assembly
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Motion capture systems (e.g., Vicon, OptiTrack, markerless/IMU)
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Data annotation for robotics or autonomous vehicles
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QA for hardware and/or software
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3D scanning and 3D printing
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Data collection and human subjects research (IRB/consent familiarity a plus)
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AR/VR development or production
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Python, Java, or equivalent scripting
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LIDAR
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Robotics (platforms, sensors, or control)
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Linux command line
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Blender or Unity
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Film/TV production
Beyond the toolkit:
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Comfortable moving between hardware and software in the same day: genuinely hands-on, not hands-off.
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High ownership: you can take an open-ended ask (“troubleshoot why this data had issues ”) and run with it without much hand-holding.
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Strong documentation habits: you leave SOPs and processes better than you found them.
What Sets You Apart
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Background in film/TV production, game development, data operations, or another field where wearing every hat is normal
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Interest in humanoid robotics and how machines learn from human movement
Why FAIRI
This role sits inside FAIRI’s Research Operations function, supporting the Humanoid Program. It’s built to grow: the Data Operations Engineering track is expected to scale from one person today to a small team over the next 12–18 months, and this hire is a leading candidate for Data Operations Engineering Lead as that team stands up.
Skills mentioned
Categories
Frequently asked questions
Is the Senior Data Operations Engineer position at Field AI remote?
The Senior Data Operations Engineer role at Field AI does not have a confirmed remote arrangement in our data. Check the employer description for its work location.
What type of employment is the Senior Data Operations Engineer role?
Field AI is hiring for a full-time Senior Data Operations Engineer position.
Which skills are mentioned for the Senior Data Operations Engineer job at Field AI?
Detected skill labels include Python, Java. Check the employer description to distinguish required skills from preferred experience.
How do I apply for the Senior Data Operations Engineer position at Field AI?
You can apply for the Senior Data Operations Engineer role directly through Field AI's official application link provided on this page.
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