Associate Robotics AI Engineer (Entry Level)

Battelle conducts research and development, manages national laboratories, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for clients. The Associate Robotics AI Engineer will support early-career projects involving artificial intelligence and robotic systems by developing and integrating perception, navigation, sensor fusion, and autonomous decision-making capabilities for physical robotic platforms.

What you'll do:

• Develop and integrate AI/ML models on robotic platforms (ground, aerial, maritime) for perception, navigation, and decision-making
• Integrate, calibrate, and troubleshoot sensors (cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, GPS, depth sensors) to support localization and mapping
• Apply sensor fusion and state estimation techniques to improve system reliability in dynamic environments
• Write production-quality code in Python and/or C++ within ROS/ROS2 and Linux environments, leveraging modern development tools
• Build and validate perception and autonomy pipelines in simulation and deploy to physical hardware through testing and iteration
• Deploy and optimize AI models on edge computing platforms for real-time inference
• Conduct field testing and resolve hardware-software integration issues under real-world conditions
• Contribute to rapid prototyping efforts supporting IRAD and mission-driven timelines
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to translate ambiguous requirements into working solutions
• Document designs, testing, and integration processes to support reproducibility
• Support research proposals and present technical findings to stakeholders and external audiences

What they're looking for:

• Bachelor's degree in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical field
• 0 to 2 years of experience (including academic projects, internships, research, competitions)
• Proficiency in Python and/or C++ for robotics or autonomous systems
• Hands-on experience integrating software with physical sensors and hardware
• Foundational knowledge of AI/ML for physical systems (computer vision, planning, control, reinforcement learning)
• Experience with ROS or ROS2
• Familiarity with Linux and version control (Git)
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Master's degree or relevant graduate research in robotics or AI
• Experience with embedded systems, real-time systems, or hardware-software co-design
• Hands-on work with simulation tools such as Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, MuJoCo, or Webots, with experience bridging sim-to-real deployment

Benefits:

• A flexible, compressed work schedule that allows for every other Friday off without using vacation time.
• Enhanced work flexibility, including a hybrid arrangement with 60% in-office and 40% remote, with Monday and Tuesday as common in-office days, dependent on team and position needs.
• Paid time off to support work-life balance.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with wellness incentives and benefits, plus optional supplemental benefits.
• Coverage for partners, gender-affirming care and health support, and family formation support.
• An industry-leading 401(k) retirement savings plan; for most employees, Battelle contributes 5 percent whether or not the employee contributes, and matches employee contributions on top of that.
• Tuition assistance to pursue higher education.
• Opportunities to apply talent to challenging and meaningful projects.
• Select funding to pursue ideas in scientific and technological discovery.
• The opportunity to partner with world-class experts in a collaborative environment.