Robotics and Autonomy Engineer (ESA)

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Develop autonomy and perception algorithms for uncrewed underwater vehicles that operate in real time, underwater, and in real-world applications at the Advanced Technology Laboratories. The engineer participates in the full development cycle, from initial implementation through testing in lakes, oceans, harbors, and rivers, and transition of capabilities to Navy sailors. The role involves collaboration on large projects with a high degree of ownership and documenting work to support knowledge transfer. The position is based at the Pickle Research Campus and has standard office conditions, with some water-based field testing and possible interstate or intrastate travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Robotics, Engineering, Computer Science, Math, or a related field.
Experience with robotics or autonomous vehicles through coursework, internships, personal projects, or research; examples include ROS, autonomy stacks, and machine learning.
Strong object-oriented programming skills in Python and/or C/C++.
Comfort working with Unix/Linux.
Must be a U.S. citizen and meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information, including successfully meeting the applicable government security investigation requirements.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Engineering, Math, or Applied Sciences, with emphasis in autonomous vehicles, robotics, learning systems, data analysis, or a related field.
Cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Responsibilities

Develop sonar-based autonomy algorithms for obstacle avoidance, multi-agent decision-making, and dynamic replanning in complex underwater environments.
Design perception algorithms to increase vehicle situational awareness.
Analyze sonar and navigation data to identify algorithm improvements.
Test algorithms in water, including local lake testing and field tests in oceans, harbors, or rivers.
Collaborate on large projects with a high degree of ownership.
Document work to support knowledge transfer.
Perform other related functions as assigned.