Post Doctoral Research Associate in Agri-Robotic Systems

The University of Lincoln is seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Agricultural Robotic Systems, covering Robotics and Autonomous Systems and Human-Robot Interaction. This post sits within the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT), an interdisciplinary research centre in the university's College of Science, and the post is linked with the Lincoln Centre for Autonomous Systems (L-CAS). It is expected that you will have a strong academic background in any of the following areas: robotics, autonomous systems, multi-robot systems, human-robot interaction and/or in-field robotics. Experience with physical robot systems is required. Experience with in-field systems (i.e. outside controlled lab environments) and/or human-robot interaction is desirable.

You should hold a PhD or be near to completion and must be able to demonstrate an excellent track record in Robotics. You are expected to have strong mathematical and programming skills (e.g. Python, C++), knowledge of computer vision, data mining and/or robotics tools (e.g. ROS/ROS2, OpenCV, scikit-learn, tensorflow, pytorch) and be able to work on group software projects using modern tools and environments (e.g. github, docker, Ubuntu). Specific interest in sustainable agri-food production is desirable, but experience in this domain is not required.

In this post you will design, conduct and manage original research in agricultural robotic systems, working directly with industry collaborators. Evidence of authorship of research outputs of international standing is essential, as is the ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, including excellent written and spoken communication skills. The position offers the opportunity to engage in collaboration within an ambitious team, to work with state-of-the-art equipment, and to benefit from excellent support to produce and disseminate original research contributions.

The post is funded with support from an Innovate UK grant that focuses on establishing test procedures for regulating agricultural robotics activities within commercial grower settings. Some aspects of the role will be technical (development and testing of robotic processes) and some will be more related to social science (practical implementation of test processes within real-world settings).

If you would like further information or an informal discussion about this exciting opportunity, please contact Professor Elizabeth Sklar at esklar@lincoln.ac.uk.

Closing Date: 31 Mar 2025

Department: Research

Salary: £38,249 pro rata Please note, this post is fixed-term until 31 January 2026 and part-time at 0.2 FTE.