Principal Research Engineer

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office stipend

Flexible PTO

Vacation bonus

Performance bonuses

Career growth

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Principal Research Engineer to lead applied research in secure, adaptable distributed systems and help shape technical innovation for potential product development.

The role partners with sponsors, customers, and researchers to identify directions, represent the organization through proposals and publications, and serve as a technical leader on complex efforts. Remote work in the US is available.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with physical applications or distributed systems research.
• Strong written communication skills with a track record of research publications.
• Proven ability to write and win research proposals.
• Solid programming skills, particularly in AI-assisted software development.
• Experience working with distributed teams.
• Must qualify as a U.S. Person due to legal requirements.

Responsibilities

• Innovate solutions for secure, adaptable distributed systems.
• Collaborate with business development to identify research topics.
• Compose and report on research proposals to sponsors.
• Lead research contracts to advance technology.
• Serve as Principal Investigator on funded research contracts.
• Interface with sponsors, customers, and research partners.
• Develop and share expertise in emerging technologies.
• Communicate innovations through papers and presentations.
• Support the transition of innovations to product development.

Skills

Distributed systems research

AI-assisted software development

Proposal writing

Technical leadership

Technical communication

Team collaboration

Programming skills

Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Principal Research Engineer to join the team of a leader in the Technical Services space.

This role will drive applied research in secure, adaptable distributed systems and help shape technical innovation that can transition into product development. The position will partner closely with business development, sponsors, customers, and research collaborators to identify promising research directions and advance funded initiatives. The successful candidate will also represent the organization through proposals, publications, and presentations while serving as a technical leader on complex research efforts.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $150,000 – $180,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Innovate solutions for secure, adaptable distributed systems.
• Collaborate with business development to identify research topics.
• Compose and report on research proposals to sponsors.
• Lead research contracts to advance technology.
• Serve as Principal Investigator on funded research contracts.
• Interface with sponsors, customers, and research partners.
• Develop and share expertise in emerging technologies.
• Communicate innovations through papers and presentations.
• Support the transition of innovations to product development.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with physical applications or distributed systems research.
• Strong written communication skills with a track record of research publications.
• Proven ability to write and win research proposals.
• Solid programming skills, particularly in AI-assisted software development.
• Experience working with distributed teams.
• Must qualify as a U.S. Person due to legal requirements.

Benefits

• Flexible working schedule.
• Remote work with a home office stipend.
• Flexible Paid Time Off and a Real Vacation Bonus for extended vacations.
• Competitive compensation with annual performance-based bonuses.
• Recognition for achievements and opportunities for career growth.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.