Research Scientist, Entomology

The Mission

At GRAM, we believe the next great leap for humanity will be physical, not digital. What AGI is to bits, Self-Replication (SR) is to atoms. As an SR research and deployment company, our mission is to make humanity galactic by enabling physical exponential growth. To achieve this, we are conducting foundational research across general-purpose robotics, artificial intelligence, biology, and materials science to enable SR within our lifetimes.

Our first step is to challenge the consensus that robots should look like us. We believe true progress comes from optimizing for function over form. We are creating a new embodiment for intelligence, designed from first principles to build the future physical economy, on and off-world.

The Role

At GRAM, our engineering is built on a foundation of scientific discovery. This role is for the scientists who work at the frontier, creating the fundamental breakthroughs that will enable our future technology. You will be responsible for tackling high-risk, high-reward challenges, transforming nascent scientific principles into tangible, ownable advantages that redefine what is possible.

We are not building traditional hexapods; we are building a new class of machine inspired by the most successful and diverse life forms on our planet. Our robot’s design is guided by the elegant solutions insects have evolved for locomotion, manipulation, and social coordination. This role is for a scientist who can look at an ant colony and see a blueprint for a distributed factory, or see in a praying mantis the inspiration for a new kind of manipulator.

Your work will form the bedrock upon which our engineering teams build the future. This is a chance to establish the intellectual and scientific foundation of a new field of robotics, with the resources and mandate to pursue your curiosity in service of an ambitious, long-term mission.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the company's chief biological architect, guiding the design of our robots by providing deep, actionable insights from the field of entomology and biomechanics.

• Translate the complex principles of insect locomotion, manipulation, and multi-agent social structures into clear engineering specifications, kinematic models, and control strategies.

• Establish and curate a foundational "Bio-Inspired Design Library" that will serve as the creative and technical wellspring for our engineering teams for years to come.

• Work as a deeply embedded, multi-disciplinary partner, joining design reviews, simulation sessions, and hardware tests to ensure our machines are not just insect-like, but embody the core efficiencies of their biological counterparts.

• Identify and de-risk the most promising avenues of bio-inspiration, guiding the company's R&D roadmap toward the highest-impact biological solutions.

About You

You are a first-principles thinker who finds equal beauty in the emergent behavior of an ant colony and the elegance of a well-defined control system. You are driven by a deep curiosity about the natural world and a palpable passion for applying that knowledge to create new technology. You thrive in a high-agency environment where you can chart the course of your own research in service of a mission that will change the world.

Basic Qualifications:

• A PhD in Entomology, Zoology, Biomechanics, or a related field of biology.

• A proven track record of significant, original research in your area of expertise.

• A history of successful and enthusiastic cross-disciplinary collaboration with engineering, physics, or computer science teams.

• An innate ability to communicate complex biological concepts with clarity and passion to non-biologists.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A recognized global expert in a relevant sub-field, such as insect biomechanics, swarm intelligence, or invertebrate neurobiology.

• Direct experience working in a biorobotics lab, with a portfolio of projects where biological insights led to novel engineering outcomes.

• A "full-stack" scientific capability, from field/lab experimentation to data analysis, computational modeling, and the presentation of engineering-relevant insights.

• An inventive, entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to see your life's work manifested in machines that will travel to other worlds.

Location

This is an on-site role at our research lab in El Segundo, California. We offer significant relocation assistance for exceptional candidates.

Interview Process

After submitting your application, we review your portfolio and any exceptional work you've shipped. If your application demonstrates the caliber we seek, you'll enter our interview process, which is designed for speed and substance. We aim to complete it within one week from start to finish.

• Company-Wide Base Salary Range: $75,000 - $300,000 USD, calibrated to your impact potential
• Equity: Substantial ownership stake befitting founding team members
• Benefits: Health, dental, and vision coverage; all meals are paid for; relocation assistance

GRAM is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate solely on capability and drive.

Why Join?

We are an early, focused team of scientists and engineers building the system that builds itself. GRAM is funded by leading investors and long-term visionaries. We operate without bureaucracy. Ownership and leadership flow to those who demonstrate exceptional capability, and every team member works directly on our core technology. We are based in El Segundo, the heart of America's industrial future, focused on solving one of the most important problems of our time.