R&D Associate: AI-Driven CAV & Mobility Systems

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Knoxville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invites applications for an R&D Associate Staff in the Applied Research for Mobility Systems (ARMS) Group. You will advance VIL/HIL testing, integrate vehicle and sensor systems, and apply AI to generate realistic vehicle scenarios and evaluate energy, safety, and performance.

The role emphasizes real-time simulation, experimental integration, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams in a national lab setting.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• At least 1 year of relevant research or professional experience in vehicle systems, connected and automated vehicles, ADAS, controls, robotics, or transportation systems.
• Experience with real-time simulation and testing environments (VIL/HIL/SiL).
• Proficiency in Python and MATLAB/Simulink for modeling, data processing, and experimental control.
• Experience applying AI or data-driven methods such as deep learning, computer vision, time-series analysis, or sensor fusion.
• Ability to develop and integrate experimental hardware and software systems.
• Strong writing and communication skills for reports and proposals.

Responsibilities

• Develop standardized testing and evaluation methods for connected and automated vehicle technologies.
• Design vehicle-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop experiments with production vehicles, dynamometers, and sensor systems.
• Develop closed-loop control and validation methods to reflect real-world behavior.
• Apply AI and generative methods to create realistic vehicle trajectories and edge-case scenarios.
• Build scalable vehicle and traffic simulation and data-analysis tools in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, and CARLA/SUMO.
• Lead experimental planning and coordinate with facilities, vendors, and partners.
• Document methods and contribute to proposals, reports, and publications.

Skills

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

C/C++

Machine learning

AI for scenarios

Real-time simulation

Vehicle dynamics

Sensor fusion

R&D collaboration

Education

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

dSPACE

CARLA

SUMO

Job description

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invites applications for an R&D Associate Staff in the Applied Research for Mobility Systems (ARMS) Group. You will advance VIL/HIL testing, integrate vehicle and sensor systems, and apply AI to generate realistic vehicle scenarios and evaluate energy, safety, and performance.

The role emphasizes real-time simulation, experimental integration, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams in a national lab setting.