Postdoctoral Research Associate

Texas A&M AgriLife Research; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Retirement plan

Wellness program

Job summary

Texas A&M AgriLife Research – Dallas Center seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance robotic and automated systems for controlled environment agriculture. The role focuses on computer vision, AI-driven automation, and robotics with hands-on work on hardware and embedded systems.

You will design, test, and deploy sensors, actuators, and control systems, collaborating across disciplines to publish findings and present at conferences.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biosystems, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or closely related field.
• Strong background in robotics, automation, and mechatronic systems.
• Peer-reviewed publications in robotics, automation, or embedded control for agriculture.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and integrate robotic and automated systems for greenhouse and vertical farming contexts.
• Lead mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic design activities including CAD and prototyping.
• Integrate sensors and embedded hardware into robotic platforms and automated systems.
• Apply AI approaches for crop sensing, climate control, and growth analysis.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to conduct studies and publish results.
• Present research findings at conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Robotics

Automation

Mechatronic systems

Collaboration

Research publications

Education

Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biosystems, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

CAD

ROS/ROS2

Gazebo

NVIDIA Isaac Sim

Unity

Embedded hardware

Job description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Dallas

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Dallas, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

As the nation's largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Position Information

Texas A&M AgriLife Research – Dallas Center (https://dallas.tamu.edu/) is seeking a highly motivated individual to join the Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) Engineering Lab as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The candidate will primarily work in one or more of the following areas: computer vision, AI-driven automation, and/or robotics for greenhouses and vertical farming systems. The successful candidate will focus on robot hardware development, automation system design, machine vision, and intelligent control, supported by physics-based simulation and AI-enabled methods. The position involves hands-on work with robotic platforms, sensors, actuators, and embedded systems, as well as system-level testing and deployment.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and integrate robotic and automated systems, including end-effectors, manipulators, and sensor-actuator networks.
• Lead mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic design activities, including CAD design, prototyping, fabrication, and system assembly.
• Integrate sensors and embedded hardware (e.g., cameras, depth sensors, environmental sensors, motor drivers, microcontrollers) into robotic platforms and automated systems.
• Implement AI approaches for crop sensing, growth analysis, stress monitoring, and interpreting plant-environment interactions for intelligent climate control.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to design and execute research studies, perform data collection and analysis, and contribute to high-impact publications.
• Present research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Agricultural, Biosystems, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Strong background in robotics, automation, and mechatronic systems.
• Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in areas such as robotics, automation, and/or embedded control systems, particularly with applications in agriculture systems.
• Ability to multi-task and work co-operatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with robotic hardware, including mobile robots, robotic arms, and automated systems.
• Proficiency in mechanical design and prototyping (CAD, fabrication, rapid prototyping).
• Experience with embedded systems, motor control, and sensor integration.
• Proficiency in ROS/ROS2, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, or Unity for simulation and deployment.

What You Need To Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leaveand at leasteight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in theTeacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

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.