Research Engineer, Level II - IV

The Research Engineer, Levels II–IV position at Texas A&M System Offices in Bryan, Texas supports the DARPA ALIAS project to advance wildland firefighting and disaster response through autonomous technologies.

The Research Engineer will develop, maintain, and operate the Systems Integration Lab (SIL), collaborating with autonomous researchers, wildland firefighters, and emergency responders to align simulation capabilities with real‑world needs.

• Assist in the implementation and maintenance of the integrated simulation environment within the SIL under guidance of senior engineers.
• Support the Air‑Ground Cooperation team in integrating autonomous flight control systems into flight simulation platforms.
• Participate in engagements with wildland firefighters and emergency responders to document operational requirements and simulation feedback.
• Assist Research IT in managing routine day‑to‑day operations of the SIL, including basic troubleshooting and maintenance tasks.
• Build and modify missions, environments, and basic assets within real‑time simulation engines such as Unreal Engine under technical direction.
• Support the integration of individual simulation components (flight simulation, communications simulation, fire simulation) into the broader environment.
• Assist in coordinating and executing firefighting and disaster response simulation exercises.
• Learn and develop foundational skills in hardware‑in‑the-loop (HWIL) simulation, supporting more experienced engineers on HWIL‑related tasks.
• Contribute positively to a collaborative research and development environment, demonstrating adaptability and a strong willingness to learn.

• Implement, develop, and maintain components of the integrated simulation environment within the SIL, taking ownership of assigned subsystems.
• Collaborate with the Air‑Ground Cooperation team to integrate autonomous flight control systems into flight simulation platforms, contributing independently to technical solutions.
• Engage with wildland firefighters and emergency responders to gather and refine operational requirements, contributing meaningfully to the definition of concepts of operation.
• Partner with Research IT to manage day‑to‑day SIL operations, taking initiative in identifying and resolving operational issues.
• Independently design and build missions, environments, and assets within real‑time simulation engines such as Unreal Engine.
• Contribute to the integration of multiple simulation components (flight simulation, communications simulation, fire simulation) into a cohesive, interoperable environment, identifying and resolving compatibility issues.
• Help plan, coordinate, and facilitate firefighting and disaster response simulation exercises, supporting logistics and technical execution.
• Develop and operate hardware‑in‑the-loop (HWIL) simulation capabilities, connecting simulation environments to real aircraft hardware with increasing independence.
• Work effectively within a fast‑paced, collaborative research and development context, managing multiple tasks and adapting to shifting priorities.

• Implement, develop, and maintain a fully integrated simulation environment within the SIL.
• Serve as a key technical liaison between the Air‑Ground Cooperation team and simulation development efforts.
• Engage directly with wildland firefighters and emergency responders to extract operational requirements, refine simulation fidelity, and define concepts of operation.
• Oversee day‑to‑day SIL operations in partnership with Research IT, proactively identifying systemic issues and driving long‑term operational improvements.
• Design, build, and technically review missions, environments, and assets within real‑time simulation engines such as Unreal Engine.
• Integrate multiple simulation components (flight simulation, communications simulation, and fire simulation) into a cohesive, interoperable environment.
• Coordinate and facilitate firefighting and disaster response simulation exercises.
• Design, develop, and operate advanced hardware‑in‑the-loop (HWIL) simulation capabilities to integrate with real aircraft hardware.
• Provide…