Chinese Robot Maker Ubtech Offers Salary of Up to USD18 Million Per Year for New Chief Scientist

(Yicai) April 3 -- Ubtech Robotics, known as the first humanoid robot manufacturer to go public, is seeking a new chief scientist with a focus on androids and embodied intelligence, offering an annual salary of between CNY15 million and CNY124 million (USD2.2 million and USD18 million).The chief scientist will define Ubtech's technology roadmap in the humanoid robots and embodied intelligence area, the Shenzhen-based company announced yesterday. The person will lead research breakthroughs in vision-language-action models, robotics foundation models, manipulation and dexterity skills learning, and other areas.The chief scientist will also be in charge of advancing cutting-edge embodied intelligence tech from the laboratory to real-world applications and accelerating the large-scale implementation of humanoid robots in diverse scenarios, including intelligent manufacturing, commercial services, and home companionship.The compensation for the role includes cash, benefits, and company equity, Shanghai Securities News reported, citing Liu Ming, vice president of human resources at Ubtech. There are no restrictions on the gender, nationality, or current location of the candidates, Liu stressed.In addition to a chief scientist, Ubtech is also recruiting for dozens of other key roles, including reinforcement learning algorithm engineers, senior hardware engineers, EtherCAT master station development engineers, mechanical engineers, and rust engineers.Ubtech sold 1,079 embodied artificial intelligence robots taller than 160 centimeters last year, raking in CNY820.6 million (USD119.2 million), or 41 percent of its total revenue, according to its annual financial report released March 31. Such income stood at only CNY35.6 million (USD5.2 million) in 2024, accounting for less than 3 percent of the total.Revenue from Ubtech's other robots, including educational, logistics, and custom products for various industries, dropped 17 percent to CNY628.7 million. In addition, income from other smart hardware devices, such as lawn mowers, pool cleaners, and robot vacuum cleaners, rose 6 percent to CNY499.2 million.Its overall revenue jumped 53 percent to CNY2 billion (USD290.5 million) in the 12 months ended Dec. 31 from the previous year, while its net loss narrowed 32 percent to CNY789.8 million, the company noted. The gross profit margin rose to 38 percent from 29 percent.Competition for AI talent has become the "main battlefield" in this year's spring recruitment market in China, with the number of such roles offered soaring about 12 times from a year earlier, accounting for 26 percent of the total, up from just 2.3 percent last year, according to a survey released by workplace community platform Maimai. Firms offer an average monthly salary of up to CNY60,738 (USD8,827) to candidates.Shares of Ubtech [HKG: 9880] closed 2.1 percent higher at HKD102.10 (USD13.03) apiece in Hong Kong today. The stock remains down from a year-to-date peak of HKD156.40 on Feb. 20.Editor: Martin Kadiev