Research Engineer IV

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Job Description

The System Offices is one of several system members within the Texas A&M University System representing one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a network of 12 universities, a comprehensive health science center, nine state agencies, and the RELLIS Campus. The Texas A&M University System mission is to provide education, conduct research, commercialize technology, offer training, and deliver services for the people of Texas and beyond.

The System Offices, within the Texas A&M University System, provides an outstanding benefits package including, but not limited to: competitive health benefits; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; a defined benefit retirement plan to include an employer contribution through Teachers Retirement System of Texas (TRS); if applicable, a defined contribution retirement plan to include an employer contribution through an approved ORP vendor: additional voluntary tax deferred annuity (TDA) options; tuition assistance; and wellness programs to promote work/life balance.

Salary:

$5,667.67 - $9,583.33 per month commensurate with experience.

Job Description Summary:

The Research Engineer IV serves as a lead technical contributor and architect, designing and implementing core autonomous behaviors while providing the technical oversight necessary to integrate complex subsystems across the BCDC autonomy stacks. At the George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC), the Research Engineer for Multi-Agent Autonomy develops next-generation autonomous systems that enable coordinated, heterogeneous fleets to operate in complex, unstructured environments. This research focuses on the integration of diverse platforms, ranging from tactical UTVs and military-grade UGVs to unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) and autonomous helicopters. We aim to solve the fundamental challenges of multi-agent coordination and shared situational awareness, fostering the human-agent teaming essential for future mission success. By bridging the gap between sophisticated algorithms and real-world application, our team develops technologies that significantly enhance unit capabilities, mobility, and speed of action. We translate theoretical breakthroughs into field-demonstrated reality through System Experimentation and Field Testing using our multi-vehicle fleet in the diverse off-road terrain of the RELLIS campus.

Responsibilities:

- Designs, implements, and optimizes complex software architectures for multi-agent coordination, serving as a primary contributor to the BCDC autonomy stacks.

- Generates prototype code and innovative algorithmic concepts to accelerate development cycles, providing technical breakthroughs to overcome project bottlenecks.

- Produces high-performance, efficient code (Python/C++) subject to computational and resource constraints for reliable operation on embedded hardware and within ROS2 middleware.

- Actively develops and refines perception and navigation stacks for a diverse fleet, including tactical UTVs, military-grade UGVs, UAVs, and autonomous helicopters.

- Leads hands-on troubleshooting and debugging of high-level system failures, maintaining the stability and integrity of integrated autonomy systems.

- Directs and participates in the development of multi-level simulation environments to validate algorithmic performance and bridge the gap to field deployment.

- Leads the exploration and selection of sensing and compute hardware, conducting trade studies to balance State-of-the-Art (SOTA) performance with economical sensor fusion strategies.

- Leads the hands-on integration and deployment of ROS2 nodes across heterogeneous air and ground assets, ensuring seamless hardware-software interoperability.

- Actively performs system hardware integration and tuning for new platforms, ensuring the reliability of perception and navigation subsystems in the field.

- Provides technical leadership during System Experimentation and Field Testing at the RELLIS campus, directly participating in the setup, execution, and evaluation of large-scale demonstrations.

- Mentors junior research staff through collaborative development, code reviews, and shared field operations, fostering technical growth and consistency across the team.

- Translates high-level research goals and guidance from senior staff into actionable technical roadmaps and software specifications.

- Collaborates with faculty and senior staff to align development efforts with project milestones, ensuring the continuous injection of new ideas into the research pipeline.

- Leads the generation of technical reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications, identifying opportunities to extend current technology.

Education and Experience:

- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Six years of related experience.

- Experience designing and implementing multi-agent coordination or path-planning frameworks.

- Experience conducting technical trade-off studies between hardware (sensors/compute) and sensor fusion strategies.

Registration, Certifications, and Licenses:

- Must be able to obtain a U.S. Department of War Security Clearance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

- Advanced proficiency in ROS2, C++ and Python for system-level integration.

- Ability to evaluate or optimize distributed communication middleware (e.g., DDS Zenoh, ZeroMQ) for agent-to-agent messaging in constrained environments.

- Strong ability to perform complex systems-level debugging and root-cause analysis on physical hardware.

- Capacity to mentor research staff and lead technical sub-projects within a high-velocity team.

- Working knowledge of Linux system configuration, networking for multi-platform fleets, and sensor driver integration.

- Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey technical information to senior management and external stakeholders.

- Superior technical writing and documentation skills.

- Capability to translate high-level mission requirements into actionable technical tasks.

- Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Other Requirements:

This is a security-sensitive position and is restricted to U.S. citizens only. Only complete applications will be considered for employment at The Texas A&M System Offices. Incomplete job application data could result in your application being rejected without an option to reapply. A cover letter and resume may be required in addition to a completed employment application.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.