Job Title

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Agency

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department

Dallas

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

Dallas, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

About Texas A&M AgriLife

Texas A&M AgriLife is comprised of the following Texas A&M University System members:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
• Texas A&M AgriLife Research
• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University
• Texas A&M Forest Service
• Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory
  
  

As the nation’s largest most comprehensive agriculture program, Texas A&M AgriLife brings together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every county across the state, Texas A&M AgriLife is uniquely positioned to improve lives, environments and the Texas economy through education, research, extension and service.

Click here to learn more about how you can be a part of AgriLife and make a difference in the world!

Position Information

We are seeking a postdoctoral position focused on the development and deployment of computer vision and intelligent robotic systems through physics-based simulation, virtual environments, and AI-enabled control, with direct applications in crop production and environmental management in controlled settings such as greenhouses and vertical farms.

Responsibilities

• Implement AI approaches for crop sensing, growth analysis, and stress monitoring, with a strong focus on modeling and interpreting plant-environment interactions for intelligent climate control.
• Develop simulation environments and digital twins using tools such as Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, or Unity to model the CEA environment as well as robotic perception, navigation, and manipulation tasks.
• Design and implement control policies for robotic arms and mobile platforms using reinforcement learning, classical control, and hybrid approaches with sim-to-real transfer in mind.
• Lead activities such as design, prototyping, testing, and refinement of robotic systems and automation solutions, including sensor integration and feedback control.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to design and execute research studies, perform data collection and analysis, and contribute to high-impact publications.
• Present research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and stakeholder meetings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in Agricultural/Biosystems/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering or closely related fields with expertise in robotics, computer vision, and/or automation.
• Demonstrated track record of peer-reviewed publications in areas such as computer vision, robotics, automation, and/or embedded control systems, particularly with applications in agriculture or controlled environment systems.
• Ability to multitask and work cooperatively with others.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in ROS/ROS2, Gazebo, NVIDIA Isaac Sim, or Unity for simulation and deployment.
• Experience with reinforcement learning (RL), computer vision, and sim-to-real transfer.
• Experience with robotic hardware platforms such as mobile robots, robotic arms, and embedded sensors.
• Familiarity with digital twin modeling, sensor fusion, and physics-based simulations.
  
  

What You Need To Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife
  
  

Applicant Instructions

Please include cover letter, CV and 3 references.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.