R&D Associate - Robotics and Navigation

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

About The Position

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in partnership with the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT-ORII), is seeking an early-career engineer to conduct research on robotics and navigation technologies for building construction and retrofits. The research aims to address skilled-labor shortages, increase productivity, improve quality and safety, and reduce costs while supporting affordable, energy-efficient, and resilient buildings. The successful candidate will be an ORNL staff member, a UT-ORII Fellow, and hold a Joint-Research Faculty appointment at UT. They will collaborate with ORNL and university researchers and contribute to a UT-ORII Convergent Research Initiative. The role focuses on developing autonomous exploration and mapping robotic platforms. The candidate will integrate heterogeneous sensors and onboard computing hardware; develop LiDAR-based SLAM, autonomous navigation, trajectory planning, and point-cloud mapping methods; and deploy and evaluate algorithms on physical mobile robots in GPS-denied, low-light, and geometrically repetitive environments. The candidate will work with researchers in robotics, surveying, remote sensing, and artificial intelligence, help shape research programs, and mentor graduate and undergraduate students. The position includes designing modular ROS 2 software and hardware interfaces, integrating and synchronizing sensor systems, developing localization and mapping workflows, planning and conducting physical-robot experiments, and assessing performance with quantitative measures. The candidate will publish and present research, contribute to proposal development, and uphold ORNL’s values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service while fostering a respectful workplace. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation.

Requirements

Ph.D. in robotics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field.
At least 2 years of relevant work experience.
Demonstrated experience developing robotic systems using ROS 2.
Hands-on experience integrating sensors, actuators, computing hardware, or communications interfaces on a mobile robotic platform.
Research or development experience in one or more of automated controls, SLAM, autonomous navigation, or trajectory planning.
Experience integrating hardware, deploying algorithms, and evaluating them on physical robots.
Proficiency in Python, modern C++, and Linux-based development environments.
Ability to obtain and maintain a federal PIV credential following a favorable background investigation, or, for eligible foreign national candidates who have not met the U.S. residency requirement, a favorable LSSO risk determination.
Real ID-compliant identification is required for employment at ORNL.

Nice To Haves

Experience with point-cloud processing and registration using Open3D or an equivalent library.
Experience with LiDAR-based or LiDAR-inertial SLAM, high-accuracy point-cloud mapping, or scan-to-scan registration.
Experience with the ROS 2 navigation stack, lifecycle-managed nodes, TF2, rosbag workflows, and distributed-system diagnostics.
Experience with CUDA and deployment on NVIDIA edge-GPU platforms such as Jetson Orin, Thor, or Spark.
Experience calibrating and synchronizing LiDAR, IMU, camera, and wheel-odometry systems.
Experience with underground, off-road, subterranean, or other unstructured-environment robotics and field testing.
Experience with Docker for containerization and deployment.
Strong publication record in robotics, controls, autonomous systems, sensor fusion, mapping, or a related area.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to work independently and contribute creatively to collaborative teams across the laboratory.
Ability to function in a fast-paced research environment, prioritize multiple tasks to meet deadlines, and adapt to changing needs.

Responsibilities

Conduct research on technologies that make new building construction and existing-building retrofits affordable, energy efficient, and resilient.
Design and implement modular ROS 2 software architecture for onboard sensing, autonomy, mapping, data logging, launch management, and configuration management.
Develop and integrate ROS 2 drivers and hardware interfaces for LiDAR, IMUs, RGB or stereo cameras, wheel odometry, survey-grade laser scanners, and other sensing systems.
Develop procedures for sensor calibration, coordinate-frame management, timestamp synchronization, and data acquisition across heterogeneous devices.
Develop and evaluate multi-sensor localization and state-estimation methods fusing LiDAR, IMU, camera, and wheel-odometry data in GPS-denied, low-light environments.
Implement LiDAR-based or LiDAR-inertial SLAM, factor-graph or pose-graph optimization, loop-closure validation, drift estimation, and drift correction for long trajectories in environments with limited or repetitive geometric features.
Develop autonomous navigation capabilities, including path planning, obstacle avoidance, autonomous exploration, frontier selection, and localization-aware trajectory planning.
Develop high-accuracy point-cloud registration and mapping workflows.
Plan and conduct experiments on physical robotic systems.
Establish quantitative measures for localization drift, mapping accuracy, and navigation reliability.
Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, and communicate findings through technical reports and presentations.
Contribute ideas and help assemble proposals relevant to the UT-ORII Convergent Research Initiative.
Mentor graduate and undergraduate students and collaborate with multidisciplinary ORNL and university researchers.
Align behaviors, priorities, and interactions with ORNL’s core values and promote equal opportunity through a respectful workplace.
Submit two letters of recommendation as part of the application.

Benefits

Medical plans
Retirement plans, including a 401(k) retirement plan and contributory pension plan
Prescription drug plan
Dental plan
Vision plan
Life insurance
Disability benefits
Vacation and holidays
Parental leave
Legal insurance with identity theft protection
Employee assistance plan
Flexible spending accounts
Health savings accounts
Wellness programs
Educational assistance
Relocation assistance
Employee discounts
Flexible work hours
On-site fitness facilities
On-site banking facilities
On-site cafeteria facilities