Postdoctoral Research Associate - Mechanical Engineering
About The Position
Baylor University, a Christian research university, is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate for the AVIA (Advanced Vehicle Intelligence and Autonomy) Lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The AVIA Lab focuses on research at the intersection of aerospace and artificial intelligence, developing advanced techniques in machine learning, optimization, control, and estimation. Current research areas include multi-agent coordination, scheduling, task allocation, energy consumption modeling, airborne wind energy harvesting, and uncertainty-aware decision making. The lab's externally funded projects involve both theoretical development and experimental validation for applications such as advanced air mobility, tethered systems, drone surveying, and human-AI interaction. The university itself is recognized as one of the nation's "Great Colleges to Work For®" and is an R1 institution.
Requirements
- A PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field (degree must be conferred before start date)
Nice To Haves
- Experience in reinforcement learning (deep RL, multi-agent RL)
- Distributed optimization
- Task allocation
- Control
- ROS/ROS2
- MATLAB/Simulink
- Experimentation with aerial platforms
Responsibilities
- Design and execute research experiments
- Develop and document experimental procedures and protocols
- Operate and maintain advanced research instruments and testbeds
- Analyze data, verify accuracy, and develop recommendations based on results
- Build and maintain research databases and datasets; implement quality control procedures
- Prepare and submit manuscripts, conference papers, technical reports, and presentations
- Support grant proposal development and identify externally funded research opportunities
- Mentor and provide technical guidance to graduate and undergraduate students
- Support lab operations and research infrastructure
- Perform all other duties as assigned to support Baylor's mission
- Ability to comply with University policies
- Maintain regular and punctual attendance
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Generous time off
- Tuition remission
- Outstanding automatic retirement contributions
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
