Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M Agrilife Research • Dallas, TX

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About The Position

Texas A&M AgriLife Research – Dallas Center ( https://dallas.tamu.edu/ ) is seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Engineering Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The candidate will primarily work in one or more of the following areas: computer vision, AI-driven automation, and/or robotics for greenhouses and vertical farming systems. The successful candidate will focus on robot hardware development, automation system design, machine vision, and intelligent control, supported by physics-based simulation and AI-enabled methods. The position involves hands-on work with robotic platforms, sensors, actuators, and embedded systems, as well as system-level testing and deployment.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biosystems, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Strong background in robotics, automation, and mechatronic systems.
• Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in areas such as robotics, automation, and/or embedded control systems, particularly with applications in agriculture systems.
• Ability to multi-task and work co-operatively with others.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on experience with robotic hardware, including mobile robots, robotic arms, and automated systems.
• Proficiency in mechanical design and prototyping (CAD, fabrication, rapid prototyping).
• Experience with embedded systems, motor control, and sensor integration.
• Proficiency in ROS/ROS2, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, or Unity for simulation and deployment.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and integrate robotic and automated systems, including end-effectors, manipulators, and sensor-actuator networks.
• Lead mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic design activities, including CAD design, prototyping, fabrication, and system assembly.
• Integrate sensors and embedded hardware (e.g., cameras, depth sensors, environmental sensors, motor drivers, microcontrollers) into robotic platforms and automated systems.
• Implement AI approaches for crop sensing, growth analysis, stress monitoring, and interpreting plant-environment interactions for intelligent climate control.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to design and execute research studies, perform data collection and analysis, and contribute to high-impact publications.
• Present research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees