Principal Research & Design Engineer

Autodesk•Boston, MA

5d•$144,000 - $258,940•Onsite

About The Position

The work we do at Autodesk touches nearly every person on the planet. By creating software tools for making buildings, machines, products, infrastructure, and the latest movies and games, we empower some of the most creative people in the world to solve problems that matter. As a Principal Research and Design Engineer, AI Operations at the Autodesk Technology Center in Boston, you will lead applied research at the intersection of artificial intelligence, advanced fabrication, and real-world workshop operations. This role bridges the digital and physical worlds: you will identify operational challenges in a working technology center, develop AI-enabled systems to address them, and validate those systems through hands-on experimentation with people, machines, materials, and data. The Autodesk Technology Centers catalyze new possibilities for design and make through the power of connection. We bring together researchers, customers, residents, start-ups, academic collaborators, and industry leaders to speculate, test, and demonstrate what the future of making could become. The Technology Center Workshops are physical environments with advanced fabrication capabilities, including CNC equipment, robotics, additive manufacturing, electronics, wood, metal, composites, and project assembly spaces. In this role, you will focus on how AI can improve the operations of advanced design-and-make environments. This may include machine utilization, workflow planning, job scheduling, safety and training systems, documentation, predictive maintenance, quality control, fabrication intelligence, and data-informed decision-making across workshop environments.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Robotics, Data Science, Manufacturing, Architecture, Industrial Design, Operations Research, or a related technical field, or equivalent professional experience
Significant professional experience applying AI, machine learning, data science, automation, or computational systems to practical, real-world problems
Strong programming skills and experience working with data pipelines, APIs, databases, machine learning frameworks, or cloud-based AI services
Experience designing experiments, building prototypes, and evaluating technical systems in ambiguous or emerging problem spaces
Comfort working with physical systems, hardware, sensors, machines, or workshop/lab environments
Ability to translate complex operational challenges into research questions, technical requirements, and implemented prototypes
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical work to researchers, engineers, workshop staff, leadership, and non-technical collaborators
Willingness to work on-site in a hands-on Technology Center environment

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience using, supporting, or programming CNC equipment, including CNC mills, routers, lathes, waterjets, or related subtractive manufacturing tools
Familiarity with CAD/CAM workflows, manufacturing software, machine setup, tooling, feeds and speeds, workholding, or fabrication planning
Experience with Autodesk products such as Fusion, Inventor, AutoCAD, Revit, Forma, or related design and manufacturing tools
Experience with robotics, additive manufacturing, industrial automation, machine monitoring, PLCs, IoT systems, or sensor-based instrumentation
Experience with computer vision, predictive maintenance, scheduling optimization, process monitoring, quality inspection, or human-machine interfaces
Experience deploying AI or ML models in physical environments, including edge devices, embedded systems, cameras, sensors, or workshop/factory infrastructure
Familiarity with protocols and systems such as MQTT, OPC-UA, ROS, serial communication, machine telemetry, or industrial data platforms
Experience working in multidisciplinary research environments where software, hardware, design, fabrication, and operations intersect
Prior experience in manufacturing, operations, architecture, engineering, construction, industrialized construction, robotics, or advanced making environments

Responsibilities

Lead applied research projects focused on using AI to improve workshop operations, fabrication workflows, and design-to-make systems
Identify high-impact operational problems across the Technology Center, including machine scheduling, utilization, training, maintenance, safety, documentation, and project execution
Design, prototype, and validate AI-enabled tools, workflows, dashboards, agents, data pipelines, and decision-support systems for physical workshop environments
Work with data from machines, sensors, job queues, CAM workflows, maintenance logs, user activity, project documentation, and other operational systems
Develop and evaluate AI and machine learning approaches, including generative AI, computer vision, optimization, predictive analytics, natural language interfaces, and edge AI where appropriate
Collaborate closely with Workshop Specialists, Research and Design Engineers, Autodesk Researchers, residents, product teams, and external partners to translate operational needs into well-scoped research experiments
Conduct hands-on experimentation in the Technology Center using fabrication equipment and workshop infrastructure, including CNC machines, robotics, additive manufacturing systems, and related tools
Help define safe, practical, and responsible uses of AI in shared workshop and research environments
Build robust, testable prototypes that can be deployed and evaluated in real-world operational contexts, not only demonstrated in controlled settings
Analyze results and communicate findings clearly through visualizations, written reports, presentations, demonstrations, and working prototypes
Contribute to Autodesk Research’s broader understanding of how AI will reshape the future of design, manufacturing, construction, and making
Stay current with advances in applied AI, manufacturing informatics, industrial automation, digital fabrication, human-machine interaction, and operational intelligence