2026 PhD Graduate - Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics and Autonomous Systems

About the role

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics and Autonomous Systems to join the Tailored Autonomous Systems Group (QPJ).

Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to applied research in robotics and autonomy, transitioning novel ideas into prototypes and deployable systems
• Design, build, and integrate robotic platforms, including sensing, compute, control, and communications
• Contribute to teams developing advanced autonomy algorithms and pipelines on resource-constrained hardware, including perception, planning, decision-making, and multi-agent coordination
• Develop and evaluate systems using simulation, digital twins, and hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) environments
• Conduct field experiments and performance evaluations in realistic operational scenarios
• Collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, and AI/ML disciplines to deliver integrated capabilities
• Publish results and help shape future research directions and proposals

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Strong record of research in robotics or autonomous systems (e.g., publications, dissertation work, or equivalent)
• Hands-on experience building and testing robotic systems
• Familiarity with embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, microcontrollers, FPGA-based systems) and real-time sensing and processing
• Experience with robotics frameworks and simulation environments (e.g., ROS/ROS2, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or similar)
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and C++
• Able to obtain an Interim Top Secret clearance to start and ultimately a final Top-Secret security clearance (U.S. citizenship required; subject to a government background investigation)

Requirements

• Experience developing real-world robotic platforms (e.g., UAVs, UGVs, maritime, or custom systems)
• Deep algorithm expertise in one or more areas, such as perception, SLAM, planning, control, or multi-agent autonomy
• Experience adapting and deploying AI models for real-time inference on embedded/edge platforms (e.g., Jetson, FPGA, microcontrollers, real-time systems)
• Experience with robotics simulation and digital twin environments (e.g., Gazebo, Isaac Sim, Unreal, AirSim)
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) testing and sim-to-real transfer
• Strong experience with rapid prototyping, including CAD, fabrication, and electronics integration
• Track record of transitioning research into operational or applied systems
• Experience leading technical efforts or mentoring junior researchers

Benefits

At APL, we provide a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development.

Pay

Minimum Rate: $85,300 Annually
Maximum Rate: $155,500 Annually

Schedule

Not specified