Senior Data Operations Engineer
Field AIAbout the role
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%
-
Build and maintain hardware sensor suites — sensor harnesses, camera arrays, mounting fixtures, wearable sensor stacks (including soldering and cable assembly).
-
Write and maintain QA scripts for in-house and vendor data drops.
-
Build and maintain annotation software and other internal data tooling.
Data Collection & Annotation — 25%
-
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.
-
Annotate robotics/AV datasets (object interaction, contact state, multi-agent) against FAIRI’s evaluation framework.
-
Use hands-on collection and annotation work to surface tooling gaps and drive the tooling roadmap above.
Team Management & Documentation — 25%
-
Manage and schedule data collection interns and contractors; own day-to-day throughput and quality.
-
Onboard and train interns/contractors on equipment, SOPs, and the informed-consent process.
-
Write and maintain SOPs and other supporting documentation for data collection, annotation, and lab operations.
-
Own first-level QC and escalation for intern/contractor output; flag protocol or safety issues.
Technical Demo Support — 25%
-
Learn the product stack and operate various robotic platforms to demonstrate FieldAI FFM (Field Foundation Model) capabilities.
-
Support demo planning and execution, coordinating with the Research Operations Partner
-
Help produce content showcasing FieldAI’s ability to deploy robots on dull, dirty,
and dangerous jobs.
-
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:
-
Soldering and cable assembly
-
Motion capture systems (e.g., Vicon, OptiTrack, markerless/IMU)
-
Data annotation for robotics or autonomous vehicles
-
QA for hardware and/or software
-
3D scanning and 3D printing
-
Data collection and human subjects research (IRB/consent familiarity a plus)
-
AR/VR development or production
-
Python, Java, or equivalent scripting
-
LIDAR
-
Robotics (platforms, sensors, or control)
-
Linux command line
-
Blender or Unity
-
Film/TV production
Beyond the toolkit:
-
Com
Apply for this role
Generate a tailored application kit with a matched cover letter, interview prep, and CV highlights — in under 60 seconds.
Apply Now →Generate Application KitFree account required — sign up in 30s