Research Engineer IV

Texas A&M University; Bryan (TX); On-site; USD 68,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive health benefits

Paid vacation

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Texas A&M University is seeking a Research Engineer IV in Bryan, Texas, to lead technical contributions in designing and implementing core autonomous behaviors. The position emphasizes multi-agent coordination for tactical UTVs, military-grade UGVs, UAVs, and autonomous helicopters, addressing challenges of coordination and shared situational awareness.

Applicants should possess at least a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or a related field, alongside six years of relevant experience, particularly in multi-agent coordination frameworks. Benefits include competitive health packages and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• At least six years of related experience.
• Experience in multi‑agent coordination or path‑planning frameworks.
• Strong systems‑level debugging and root‑cause analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize complex software architectures for multi-agent coordination.
• Develop and refine perception and navigation stacks for a diverse fleet of vehicles.
• Mentor junior research staff through development, code reviews, and field operations.

Skills

ROS2

C++

Python

Systems integration

Multi-agent coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or related field

Job description

Job Title

Research Engineer IV

Agency

Texas A&M University System Offices

Department

Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC)

Location

Bryan, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Salary

$5,667.67 – $9,583.33 per month (commensurate with experience)

Job Summary

The Research Engineer IV serves as a lead technical contributor and architect, designing and implementing core autonomous behaviors while providing the technical oversight necessary to integrate complex subsystems across the BCDC autonomy stacks. This role focuses on multi‑agent autonomy for tactical UTVs, military‑grade UGVs, UAVs, and autonomous helicopters, addressing challenges of coordination, shared situational awareness, and human‑agent teaming.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize complex software architectures for multi‑agent coordination.
• Generate prototype code and innovative algorithmic concepts to accelerate development.
• Write high‑performance, efficient code (Python/C++) for embedded hardware and ROS2 middleware.
• Develop and refine perception and navigation stacks for a diverse fleet of vehicles.
• Troubleshoot and debug high‑level system failures to maintain stability.
• Develop multi‑level simulation environments for algorithm validation.
• Lead selection and trade studies of sensing and compute hardware.
• Integrate and deploy ROS2 nodes across heterogeneous air and ground assets.
• Perform hardware integration and tuning for new platforms.
• Lead system experimentation and field testing at the RELLIS campus.
• Mentor junior research staff through development, code reviews, and field operations.
• Translate research goals into actionable technical roadmaps and specifications.
• Collaborate with faculty and senior staff to align development with project milestones.
• Produce technical reports, presentations, and peer‑reviewed publications.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Science, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least six years of related experience.
• Experience in multi‑agent coordination or path‑planning frameworks.
• Experience conducting technical trade‑off studies between hardware sensors/compute and sensor fusion strategies.

Registration, Certifications, and Licenses

• Must be eligible to obtain a U.S. Department of War Security Clearance.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced proficiency in ROS2, C++ and Python for systems integration.
• Ability to evaluate or optimize distributed communication middleware (DDS Zenoh, ZeroMQ) for agent‑to‑agent messaging.
• Strong systems‑level debugging and root‑cause analysis skills on physical hardware.
• Capacity to mentor staff and lead technical sub‑projects in a high‑velocity team.
• Working knowledge of Linux configuration, networking, and sensor driver integration.
• Excellent communication and technical writing skills.
• Ability to translate high‑level mission requirements into actionable technical tasks.
• Multi‑tasking and cooperative teamwork abilities.

Other Requirements

This is a security‑sensitive position open to U.S. citizens only. Only complete applications will be considered.

Benefits

Competitive health benefits, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, defined benefit retirement plan, tuition assistance, and wellness programs.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.