Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

Job Posting Title:

Research Engineering/ Scientist Assistant

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Hiring Department:

Oden Institute

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

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Earliest Start Date:

Feb 10, 2026

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until May 15, 2026

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

The Oden Institute is an organized research unit that fosters interdisciplinary programs in computational sciences and engineering, computational medicine, computational geosciences, mathematical modeling, applied mathematics, data science, software engineering, and computational visualization.

The University of Texas at Austin is a nationally ranked, tier-one research institution and one of the largest employers in central Texas. UT is located in the heart of Austin, a vibrant city that frequently appears on lists of best cities to live and work. Committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce, the university offers competitive salaries and benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education and public service.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:  

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage 

• Retirement contributions  

• Paid vacation and sick time 

• Paid holidays 

Please visit our Human Resources (HR) website to learn more about the total benefits offered.

Purpose

The Research Engineering/Scientist Assistant will support the robotics software integration effort for UT Austin’s DARPA TIAMAT project.

The position involves setting up and operating research equipment and testbeds, recording observations and measurements, performing basic analyses, and assisting with debugging and validation of software and hardware components. The assistant will work under the direction of research staff and faculty, collaborate with students and engineers on assigned tasks, and may help prepare technical documentation, reports, and project materials. Additional responsibilities may include maintaining laboratory equipment, supporting integration and testing activities, and performing related research duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with the development, testing, and integration of research software for robotic systems.

• Supporting deployment and evaluation on robotic hardware

• Helping conduct experiments and data collection.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.

• Experience with software development in Python.

• Experience with ROS / ROS2 for robotics software development and integration.

• Familiarity with additional programming languages commonly used in robotics and systems development (e.g., C/C++, scripting languages).

• Experience working with Linux-based development environments.

• Ability to follow technical instructions, document work clearly, and collaborate effectively with research staff and faculty.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Salary Range

$18.00/hr

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

• Use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for su