2026 PhD Graduate - Postdoctoral Researcher in Robotics and Autonomous Systems

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory • Laurel, MD

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This role is intended for recent PhD graduates who want to apply advanced research to real-world robotic systems operating in complex, mission-driven environments providing asymmetric capabilities for our nation. Our team develops robotic capabilities and low-size, weight, and power (SWaP) autonomous systems to address the nation’s immediate needs, bringing together experts spanning platform design, embedded autonomy, perception, and mission-level behaviors, with a strong emphasis on hands-on system development, rapid prototyping, and field experimentation. This position is ideal for candidates who want to bridge cutting-edge research and operational deployment, working on systems that extend human capabilities and operate in high-risk or denied environments.

Requirements

• Have a Ph.D. in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• Demonstrate a strong record of research in robotics or autonomous systems (e.g., publications, dissertation work, or equivalent)
• Have hands-on experience building and testing robotic systems
• Are familiar with embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, microcontrollers, FPGA-based systems) and real-time sensing and processing
• Have experience with robotics frameworks and simulation environments (e.g., ROS/ROS2, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, or similar)
• Are proficient in programming languages such as Python and C++
• Are 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).

Nice To Haves

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

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

Benefits

• robust education assistance program
• unparalleled retirement contributions
• healthy work/life balance
• retirement plans
• paid time off
• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• short-term disability
• long-term disability
• flexible spending accounts
• education assistance
• training and development
• sign-on bonus
• relocation benefits
• locality allowance
• discretionary payments for exceptional performance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree