Research Associate

University of York - Computer Science; Imphal West District; On-site; INR 4,906,000 - 5,994,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of York invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to work at the intersection of AI/Robotics and Chemistry within the HATCH project funded by AIchemy Frontier Fund. The role focuses on enabling Physical AI collaboration between robot manipulators and human chemists to conduct frontier synthesis experiments.

Applicants should have a PhD (or near completion) in Robotics, CS, or related field, with a strong publication record and hands-on ROS/ROS2 experience.

Qualifications

• PhD (or near completion) in robotics, CS, or a closely related field.
• Strong publication record in robotics/AI venues (ICRA/IROS/RSS etc.).
• Proficiency in ROS/ROS2 and robot software/hardware communication.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate robotic workflows for AI-assisted chemistry experiments.
• Collaborate with chemists to operationalize physical AI approaches.
• Publish results and contribute to project dissemination.

Skills

Robot Manipulation

Python programming

ML libraries

Human-Robot Interaction

Education

PhD (or near completion) in Robotics, CS

Tools

ROS/ROS2

UR/Franka Manipulators

Job description

Department

School of Physics, Engineering and Technology

Salary

£37,694 - £46,049 per year

Grade

Grade 6

Contract status

Fixed term

Hours of work

Full-time

Based at

University of York campus

Posted Date

21/08/2026

Apply by

20/09/2026

Job Reference

15216

Documents

• Job description 15216.pdf (PDF, 214.69kb)

Role Description

Department

The School of Physics, Engineering and Technology brings physicists and engineers together to push the frontiers of knowledge, foster innovation and meet the grand challenges facing society. Our aim is to deliver world-leading research in both fundamental and applied areas whilst developing new technologies that work for the public good, in an environment where everyone can thrive. As a School, equality, diversity, and inclusion are central to our culture and we strive to provide a working environment which allows all staff and students to contribute fully, to flourish, and to excel. We aim to ensure that there is a supportive and egalitarian culture at all levels and across all staff groups and offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, staff engagement forums, campus facilities and services to support staff from different backgrounds. We are proud to hold Juno Champion and Athena Swan silver awards, which recognise our commitment to creating an equitable and fully inclusive environment in which staff and students can thrive. We aim to inspire young people to engage with science and engineering through our outreach work.

Role

The PDRA will work in the intersection of AI/Robotics and Chemistry for our Human – AI Teaming for Chemistry (HATCH) project funded by AIChemy Frointer Fund. The ultimate goal of HATCH is to enable Physical AI (robot manipulators, automated handling units) working with human chemists collaboratively, conducting frontier synthetic chemistry experiments.

Skills, Experience & Qualification Needed

You will have:

• PhD (or close to completion) in Robotics, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
• A strong track record of high-quality research publications in top-tier journals or conferences relevant to robotics (e.g., ICRA/IROS, RSS, CoRL, RAL, TRO, IJRR or other similar venues).
• Robot Manipulation: Hands-on experience programming and controlling robot manipulators (e.g., UR, Franka Emika) and end‑effectors for precise tasks.
• Software Proficiency: Strong proficiency in ROS/ROS2 (Robot Operating System) and hardware‑software communication protocols.
• Programming: Advanced programming skills in Python and standard ML libraries
• Human‑AI Collaboration: Understanding of Human‑Robot Interaction (HRI), shared autonomy, or collaborative decision‑making frameworks.

Desirable To Have

• Experience working with Large Language Models (LLMs) or Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) models, particularly in grounding text/code generation into physical robot actions.
• Strong willingness and enthusiasm to learn synthetic chemistry workflows, laboratory safety protocols, and chemical domain knowledge.
• Prior experience collaborating with scientists outside of core computer science/engineering (e.g., chemists, biologists, physicists) is highly valued.

Interview date

To be confirmed

For informal enquiries

please contact Dr Jihong Zhu ([e-mail]) and [e-mail]

Additional Information

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum (essential) criteria for each position will be offered an interview. Read more about the University of York’s commitments under the Disability Confident scheme.