Postdoctoral Research Associate - Robotics and Embodied AI

Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC; United States; On-site; USD 74,000 - 123,000; Full time

Job summary

Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, NY invites a postdoctoral researcher to advance AI-driven robotics within SEAL. You will focus on embodied AI for manipulation, perception, and control, contributing to scalable experiments and open collaboration with AI Department colleagues.

The role emphasizes hands-on work with hardware, simulation, and HPC environments, with opportunities to publish, propose new initiatives, and engage with academic and industry partners.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in CS/CE/EE/ME awarded within the past five years, with hands-on robotics experience.
• Demonstrated publication record in robotics or AI/ML for robotics; or clear robotics project achievements (publications, GitHub, lab site).
• Excellent programming and computer science skills.
• Experience with robot diagnostics, maintenance, and customization (e.g. electronic/mechanical disassembly, soldering, driver troubleshooting).
• Experience with robot simulation environments.
• Experience with 3D modeling, 3D printing, and custom hardware integration.

Responsibilities

• Conduct fundamental and applied research in robotics, including perception, control, manipulation and interaction.
• Work effectively with single-arm, bimanual, humanoid, and semi-humanoid robots, and various end-effectors and sensors.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams across BNL and with academic and industry partners.
• Conceive and execute high-quality research ideas in partnership with AI Department colleagues and mentors.
• Publish and communicate research outcomes and participate in proposal and collaboration-building activities.

Skills

Robotics

AI/ML for robotics

Programming

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Industry partnerships

Education

PhD in Computer Science / Computer Engineering / Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Robot simulation environments

3D printing

Custom hardware integration

Job description

Brookhaven National Lab’s (BNL) AI Department welcomes qualified candidates to apply to a new postdoc research position in robotics. The Scientific Embodied Agents Lab (SEAL) within the Computing and Data Sciences (CDS) directorate is working at the intersection of AI and robotics to investigate the challenges and opportunities facing advanced robotics technologies in supporting current scientific workflows and enabling new capabilities. A key motivator for this endeavor is the breadth of experimental science that form the core of BNL’s research focus. We seek to leverage generalizable, AI-driven robotics approaches to accelerate scientific discovery, enable robust knowledge capture and transfer, and support experimental science in novel ways that cannot be met with traditional automation techniques. A successful candidate will join a growing team developing AI methods for robotics, with an emphasis on an Embodied AI paradigm.

We seek candidates with expertise in robotics, and in algorithmic and AI methods for robotic perception and control. We are most interested in experience with robotics for manipulation tasks, though other strong areas of experience (e.g. locomotion, human-robot interaction, multi-robot systems) are considered as well. We value hands‑on experience with robot hardware including controllers, sensors, electronics, power systems, motors, and custom manufactured parts, including 3D printing.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct fundamental and applied research and development in robotics, including work on robotic perception, control, manipulation and interaction
• Work effectively with single-arm, bimanual, humanoid, and semi-humanoid robots, and with various end‑effectors, sensors, control interfaces, and APIs for a variety of experiments, benchmarking efforts, and development of novel perception and control methods
• Collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams across BNL and with our academic and industry partners
• Conceive and execute high‑quality research ideas in partnership with AI Department colleagues and mentors
• Publish and communicate research outcomes and participate in proposal and collaboration‑building activities

Position Requirements

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering awarded within the past five years, with demonstrated hands‑on experience in robotics. Candidates with a Ph.D. in a closely related science or engineering field may also be considered if they have significant demonstrated robotics experience
• Demonstrated publication record in robotics fields and/or in AI/ML methods for robotics; or clear record of robotics projects and achievements (publications, GitHub, lab website)
• Excellent programming and computer science skills
• Experience with robotic diagnostics, maintenance, and customization (e.g. electronical/mechanical disassembly, soldering, driver troubleshooting, etc.)
• Experience with robot simulation environments
• Experience with 3D modeling, 3D printing, and custom hardware integration

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities:

• Strong theoretical understanding and practical experience in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and embodied AI
• Experience in developing, training, evaluating, and deploying large AI/ML models in HPC and cluster computing environments
• Experience working in multidisciplinary collaborations
• Experience working with industry partnerships

Other Information:

• Initial 2-year term appointment subject to renewal contingent on performance and funding
• Candidates must have received a Ph.D. by the commencement of employment.
• BNL policy requires that after obtaining a PhD, eligible candidates for research associate appointments may not exceed a combined total of 5 years of relevant work experience as a post‑doc and/or in an R&D position, excluding time associated with family planning, military service, illness, or other life‑changing events
• This is a fully onsite position located at BNL in Upton, NY

Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $74050 - $122550 / year. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to employee success and we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Review more information at BNL | Benefits Program

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About Us

Brookhaven National Laboratory (www.bnl.gov) delivers discovery science and transformative technology to power and secure the nation’s future. Brookhaven Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with seven Nobel Prize-winning discoveries, 37 R&D 100 Awards, and more than 70 years of pioneering research. The Lab is primarily supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science. Brookhaven Science Associates (BSA) operates and manages the Laboratory for DOE. BSA is a partnership between Battelle and The Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University. BSA salutes our veterans and active military members with careers that leverage the skills and unique experience they gained while serving our country, learn more at BNL | Opportunities for Veterans at Brookhaven National Laboratory .

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

Guided by our core values of integrity, responsibility, innovation, respect, and teamwork, Brookhaven Science Associates is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer-Vets/Disabled. We are committed to fostering a respectful and collaborative environment that fuels scientific discovery. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by law. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. We ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. *VEVRAA Federal Contractor

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