Research Engineer

About the role

The Research Engineer will contribute to pioneering research into how AI-enabled workflows, digital twins, robotics, simulation, sensing, and advanced fabrication can come together to redefine how things are made. This role is for someone who understands manufacturing and engineering applications deeply and is excited by the opportunity to apply AI in practical, impactful ways.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and run hands-on experiments in the Manufacturing Industry Futures group, with a focus on applied research that advances manufacturing processes, systems, and technologies.
• Develop experimental workflows that connect design, simulation, fabrication, sensing, robotics, automation, and real-world production data.
• Apply AI-assisted and agentic workflows to manufacturing and engineering contexts, including areas such as process planning, simulation feedback, anomaly detection, workflow automation, and decision support.
• Build integrated software and hardware pipelines for experimentation and physical prototyping, including additive manufacturing, robotic systems, metal fabrication, electronics, sensors, and industrial data systems.
• Evaluate and test emerging technologies, including AI, robotics, simulation, digital twins, machine perception, and automation in manufacturing contexts.
• Collaborate closely with Boston Technology Center staff, Autodesk Research teams worldwide, and industry and academic partners.
• Contribute to research projects from concept through experimentation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.
• Help translate research insights into intellectual property, prototypes, tools, and scalable technologies that advance Autodesk’s platform and customer capabilities.
• Share findings clearly through prototypes, demonstrations, documentation, presentations, and technical communication.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Relevant industry, research, or applied R&D experience.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing systems, robotics, automation, sensing, fabrication, or physical prototyping.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing or engineering workflows, including how digital tools are used in design, simulation, production, inspection, or process improvement.
• Experience applying AI, data-driven methods, or automation tools to engineering, manufacturing, or physical systems.
• Familiarity with simulation, digital twin, or model-based engineering workflows.
• Experience working with large datasets, sensor data, machine data, production data, or experimental data.
• Ability to build and test integrated systems that combine software, hardware, data, and physical processes.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across disciplines and with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• A track record of hands-on experimentation and working with emerging technologies.

Qualifications

• PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing, Robotics, or a related field.
• Experience with AI-assisted workflows, agentic systems, MCP or similar toolchains, or AI-enabled automation in engineering or manufacturing contexts.
• Familiarity with physics-informed AI, AI for physical systems, or machine learning applied to manufacturing, simulation, robotics, or process optimization.
• Experience with industrial data systems and communication protocols such as MQTT, MTConnect, OPC UA, or related IoT / industrial networking technologies.
• Experience with robotics, machine vision, additive manufacturing, CNC, industrial automation, or smart factory systems.
• Experience developing intellectual property, prototypes, or technology that has transferred from research into industrial or commercial contexts.
• Curiosity for exploring uncharted territory and shaping the future of how products are designed and made.