Research Engineer

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Job Summary

The Gharib Group seeks a Research Engineer to help develop the next generation of autonomous systems for real-world robotics applications - designing, integrating, and testing new concepts across aerial, ground, and hybrid vehicles.

The work spans perception and control algorithms, electrical and mechanical design, simulation, and trade studies, and extends to putting those algorithms on real hardware: low-level firmware and driver development, system architecture and integration, and both lab-based and field robotics.

The role suits a generalist whose knowledge spans several disciplines and offers wide exposure across the group's projects at both a practical and a theoretical level. The Engineer will also serve as lead for small project teams, reporting to faculty and mentoring graduate students.

Essential Job Duties

Autonomy software development:

• Full-stack autonomy software for wheeled, flying, and hybrid vehicles: perception, sensor fusion, control and navigation algorithms; hardware drivers; simulation.

Hardware design and integration:

• Electrical and mechanical design, 3D modeling and rapid prototyping, low-level firmware and driver development, system architecture and integration.

Testing and field campaigns:

• Leading lab and field test campaigns, deploying code on physical hardware, operating robots, and meeting performance and robustness requirements for field use.

Project leadership and mentoring:

• Managing small engineering teams across aerial, terrestrial, and hybrid robotics projects; mentoring junior lab members.

Documentation and trade studies:

• Written documentation and solution-space trade studies of new designs to guide future research in the lab.

Basic Qualifications

• Master of Science in Computer Science or Engineering or related Engineering field.
• Professional or research experience in C++ and Python programming, controls, perception, and field robotics, including deploying and operating robotic hardware outside the lab.

Preferred Qualifications

• Practical experience in field robotics and real-world systems deployment.
• Software development with Linux, Robot Operating System (ROS), OpenCV, CI/CD, and embedded systems.
• Mechanical design and CAD, including SolidWorks and Autodesk.
• Breadth across several engineering disciplines - a generalist who adapts quickly to unfamiliar fields.
• FAA Part 107 remote pilot certificate, or experience operating uncrewed aircraft for research.

Required Documents

• Resume