Research Scientist, Program Synthesis & Neuro-symbolic Methods

About the role

Basis is a nonprofit applied AI research organization focused on understanding and building intelligence, and advancing society's ability to solve complex problems. The MARA project develops computational theories of scientific reasoning applied to robotics and embodied intelligence. The ideal candidate will have expertise in Program Synthesis & Neuro-symbolic Methods, combining theoretical depth with practical implementation skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational theories of intelligence specific to program synthesis and neuro-symbolic methods, focusing on synthesizing control programs, learning interpretable models, or bridging symbolic reasoning with neural learning.
• Design and implement novel algorithms that push the boundaries of sample efficiency, generalization, interpretability, or robustness in embodied AI systems.
• Collaborate across specializations to integrate world modeling with planning, symbolic reasoning with neural learning, and high-level objectives with low-level control.
• Validate research on physical systems by working with hardware engineers to test algorithms on real robots, addressing the sim-to-real gap and practical deployment challenges.
• Work with domain experts inside and outside Basis to identify impactful applications of MARA technology in scientific discovery, manufacturing, or other domains.
• Distill insights from problem-solving into general mathematical and computational theories that advance our understanding of intelligence.
• Develop and maintain open-source software that enables reproducible research and broader community engagement with MARA technologies.
• (Optional) Publish and present findings in journals and conferences to establish thought leadership in embodied AI and scientific reasoning.
• Contribute to the culture and direction of Basis by modeling scientific rigor, creative problem-solving, and commitment to advancing societal capabilities.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to do scientific research of high quality, evidenced by publications at top venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, POPL, PLDI), technical reports, and impactful software projects.
• Deep expertise in Program Synthesis & Neuro-symbolic Methods, including domain-specific languages, program induction, verifiable control, neuro-symbolic integration, and experience with combining neural networks with symbolic reasoning or program generation.
• Strong mathematical and computational foundations including probability theory, optimization, linear algebra, and the ability to implement complex algorithms from first principles.
• Experience with combining neural networks with symbolic reasoning or program generation.
• Experience with both theoretical research and systems engineering.
• Background spanning multiple specialization areas.

Qualifications

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in technical areas including: robotics, machine learning, computer vision, control theory, cognitive science, or physics.
• Experience at leading robotics or AI labs (academic or industry).
• Track record of algorithms deployed on physical robot systems.
• Contributions to major open-source projects in robotics or ML.

Skills

• Ability to identify valuable research directions within the broader MARA mission.
• Comfortable working across the research-to-deployment pipeline, from theoretical development through experimental validation.
• Autonomy and intellectual curiosity.
• Collaboration and knowledge transfer.
• Excitement about solving real-world problems through embodied intelligence that advances our ability to understand and interact with the physical world.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range: $120K - $180K.
• Immediate start possible.
• In-person policy: We are in the office four days a week. Be prepared to attend multi-day Basis-wide in-person events.
• Location: This role is in-person in either New York City or Cambridge, MA.

Pay

Competitive salary range: $120K - $180K.

Schedule

This is a full-time position.

Non-Discrimination Notice

Basis Research Institute provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or genetics and prohibits discrimination based on all protected characteristics.

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