Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d)

RWTH Aachen Elektrotechnik; Aachen; On-site; EUR 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Access to GPUs and high-end compute

Job summary

RWTH Aachen Elektrotechnik invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher position in the Physical AI Lab at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision. You will conduct research on learning-based robotic systems and publish in top venues.

The position is full-time, fixed-term up to 3 years with possible extension, and salary is aligned with TV-L EG 13. A doctoral degree in progress or soon to be pursued is expected.

Qualifications

• Excellent master's degree in CS/EE/robotics or related field.
• Strong knowledge of ML, CV, language models, robotics, diffusion/ RL or related areas.
• Strong programming skills in Python and PyTorch; able to prototype and evaluate ideas.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on learning-based robotic systems that perceive, reason, and act in complex environments.
• Develop methods, implement models, and run experiments in simulation and on physical robots.
• Publish results at top international venues and contribute to group development.

Skills

machine learning

computer vision

language models

robotics

diffusion models

reinforcement learning

Python

PyTorch

Education

Master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, robotics, or related field

Tools

Python

PyTorch

Job description

Physical AI & Robot Learning

Application deadline: 31/12/2026

Institution

Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision

Our Profile

We are inviting applications for the Doctoral Researcher position in the Physical AI Lab at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University. Our group develops generalist robots that autonomously solve real-world long-horizon tasks.

We offer

• The opportunity to join and shape a growing research group
• Close supervision and scientific mentoring and support for publications, conference participation and academic career development
• Access to the newly built NEURA Gym RWTH Aachen with robots operating in real-world scenarios
• Access to extensive on-premises computing infrastructure, including around 120 GPUs and additional high-end GPU clusters available on demand
• Active collaborations with partners from academia and industry

Your Profile

• An excellent master's degree (or comparable) in computer science, electrical engineering, robotics, or a related field
• Solid knowledge of at least one of the following areas, and ideally several: machine learning, computer vision, language models, robotics, diffusion models, reinforcement learning, or related fields
• Strong programming skills, with the ability to rapidly prototype, implement, and evaluate research ideas, preferably in Python and PyTorch
• High motivation, scientific curiosity, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Excellent communication skills in English; German is advantageous but not required

Your Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will conduct research on learning-based robotic systems that perceive, reason, and act in complex environments. Possible topics include Vision-language-action models, robotic world models, active perception, structured memory systems, human-robot cognitive alignment, hybrid imitation and reinforcement learning, and medical robotics. Your work will include developing methods, implementing and evaluating models, conducting experiments in simulation and with physical robots, publishing at top international venues, and contributing to the development of the group.

What We Offer

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.

The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term up to 3 years.

There is an option to extend the position for a further three years.

The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts).

This is a full-time position.

The successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this position.

The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L).

The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

About us

RWTH is proud to be certified as a family-friendly university. As part of our Campus Health initiative, RWTH offers a wide range of health, counseling, and prevention services, including university sports. Employees under collective bargaining agreements and civil servants also benefit from a comprehensive continuing education program and the option to purchase a job ticket for convenient commuting.

All University employees also have access to the Corporate Benefits online platform, which offers discounts on a wide range of products and services from participating companies.

RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified candidates and make employment decisions without regard to national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age.

RWTH is especially committed to supporting the advancement of women in academia. When women are underrepresented in a university unit, preferential consideration will be given to female applicants among candidates of equal merit and professional standing, unless compelling reasons favor another individual.

In keeping with RWTH's commitment to equality of opportunity, we ask that you do not include a photo with your application.

Please refer to for information about how we collect and process applicant data in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).