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Associate Director, Physical AI

AT Chewy
Chewy

Associate Director, Physical AI

Woburn, MA

Our Opportunity: 

Our fast-growing Warehouse & Fulfillment Center teams are the heart of our operations, helping ensure millions of pet families around the country receive their pet supplies and medicines when they need them. Chewy’s AI & Data Innovation organization is developing cutting-edge technology to manipulate items across our extensive inventory.  

A key element of this initiative involves capturing, modeling, and manipulating a wide variety of products—ranging from cat toys to large bags of dog food. Our work spans real-world and physics simulation environments, enabling us to validate, refine, and iterate on solutions for ongoing improvement.  

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We are seeking a big thinker to provide technical leadership, hands on science and engineering vision, in building an innovative environment that bridges both our real-world lab in Woburn, MA, and simulated platforms. Fulfill your potential alongside dedicated Team Members responsible for providing best-in-class delivery experiences and supply chain expertise! 

 

WHO YOU ARE: 

  • Passionate about Simulation and Curation: You’re excited to build, curate, and develop a state-of-the-art simulation environment that supports physical-world libraries and deformable objects (e.g., dog food bags, ).
  • Interest in Hybrid Learning: Fascinated by designing and creating environments for hybrid real-world and simulated reinforcement learning to address grasping and manipulation challenges.
  • Problem Solver for Scale: Motivated by the challenge of manipulating a catalog of 115,000+ diverse items spanning a wide variety of e-commerce package types.
  • Team Leader and Mentor: Skilled in mentoring and leading a highly capable engineering and science team with a clear focus on impactful goals that drive business outcomes.
  • Influential Thinker: Inspired to see your ideas, pipelines and experiments influence top-level decision-makers and deliver measurable business results.
  • Innovative Collaborator: Committed to understanding and refining problem statements without over-constraining goal definitions and innovating in a collaborative environment to achieve optimal solutions. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 

  • Robot Development: Design and test robot motion control algorithms in simulated environments before deployment on real hardware.
  • Grasping and Manipulation: Develop and validate solutions for handling a wide variety of products within our catalog.
  • Business Impact: This work will have a direct impact on saving money for our customers and creating a safer work environment for our team members.
  • Connect & Grow: There will be a requirement to travel and visit vendors as well as attend trade shows, representing the company and fostering key business relationships. Expect up to 10% travel. 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience (AI, Data Science, Engineering, MIS, CS, or related field).
  • Deep Knowledge of Robotics Simulation: Extensive experience with physical robotics simulators, including expertise in physics engines, environment creation, sensor modeling, and running complex robot simulations.
  • Expertise in Physical Simulation: Hands-on experience with physical-level simulation tools such as Isaac Sim, Gazebo, PyBullet, or MuJoCo. Ability to build robot models, set up environments, program sensor data, and implement complex physics interactions within simulation platforms.
  • Physics Engine Expertise - Deep familiarity with physics engines embedded in simulation tools, ensuring accurate simulation of robot dynamics and environmental interactions.
  • Advanced Programming Skills - Strong coding proficiency in C++, Python, or other appropriate languages for developing simulation scripts and control algorithms.
  • Sensor Modeling - Experience designing realistic sensor models such as LiDAR, cameras, and IMUs within simulation tools to support perception algorithms.
  • Environment Design - Capability to create diverse and complex simulated environments using terrain editing tools and object libraries.
  • Simulation Optimization - Expertise in techniques for optimizing simulation performance to support real-time control and large-scale testing. 

 

HIGHLY DESIRABLE: 

  • Publications in Physical AI, Robotics Simulation, knowledge systems, or related areas. 
  • Advanced degrees (Master’s or PhD) in AI, Robotics, Systems Engineering, or Applied Science. 
  • Contributions to open-source projects in Robotics Simulation or Physical AI.
  • Exposure to dynamic industries, such as e-commerce, supply chain or, where Robotics and AI intelligence drives innovation.  

If you’re excited to tackle unique challenges in physical simulation and robotics while mentoring a talented team, this is your opportunity to make a significant impact in a fast-paced and innovative environment. 

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 CAAR@chewy.com.

 

If you have a question regarding your application, please contact HR@chewy.com.

 

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Client-provided location(s): Woburn, MA, USA
Job ID: 6392026
Employment Type: Other

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • FSA
    • HSA
    • Health Insurance
    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • Mental Health Benefits
  • Parental Benefits

    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Adoption Assistance Program
  • Work Flexibility

    • Remote Work Opportunities
    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Company Outings
    • Commuter Benefits Program
    • Pet-friendly Office
    • Happy Hours
    • Snacks
    • Some Meals Provided
    • Casual Dress
    • On-Site Cafeteria
    • Holiday Events
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Paid Holidays
    • Unlimited Paid Time Off
    • Paid Vacation
    • Leave of Absence
    • Summer Fridays
  • Financial and Retirement

    • Performance Bonus
    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • 401(K)
    • Company Equity
    • Relocation Assistance
    • Financial Counseling
    • Stock Purchase Program
  • Professional Development

    • Promote From Within
    • Mentor Program
    • Lunch and Learns
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
    • Shadowing Opportunities
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Professional Coaching
  • Diversity and Inclusion

    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program
    • Employee Resource Groups (ERG)
    • Unconscious Bias Training