Robotics Research Engineer

We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves?

Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering team takes new ideas from theory to reality. Every day, we develop advanced energy management and propulsion technologies, create cutting‑edge materials and manufacturing processes, and curate world‑class cabin experiences that redefine what it means to drive a Ford.

As a Robotics Research Engineer
, you will join Ford's Research & Advanced Engineering organization to help design the future of automotive manufacturing and automation. You will work with peers in the Robotics & Automation Research team – a multidisciplinary group of experts focused on applied research and development – to develop scalable solutions that integrate with diverse sets of hardware and software. You will work with downstream peers in other departments, such as Ford’s Manufacturing Technology Development group, to deliver solutions that meet their needs and align with their strategy.

This role will be responsible for prototyping integration of various learning‑based robotic control methods as well as helping to guide research that will define Ford’s long‑term strategy for in‑house model development. This role will focus on groundbreaking technologies with potential for significant business impact in a 3‑to‑5 year time horizon, and work with key University Alliances to cultivate technology beyond the 5‑year timeframe.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess a depth of knowledge related to developing and applying learning-based algorithms in the robotics and automation space, and a breadth of knowledge related to the relevant domains of perception, prediction, motion planning, and control. The ideal candidate will also possess a strong curiosity for discovering a customer’s needs and a keen eye for problems whose solutions will create value for the company.

• Master's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline and 3+ years of experience developing and implementing learning algorithms for robotic systems or a Ph.D. in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science.
• 1 year experience of experience applying state-of-the-art learning algorithms, such as foundational models (LLMs, VLMs, VNMs, Vision‑Language‑Action models), Reinforcement Learning, Transfer Learning, or Imitation Learning.
• 1 year programming experience in C++ and Python
• Strong written and oral communication skills to convey ideas to those with limited theoretical background in the area in a concise manner

• Ph.D. in Electrical, Mechanical, or Computer Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a closely related technical field
• Ability to work independently on deep research tasks as well as collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to integrate proof-of-concepts
• An agile mindset that strives to deliver results while adapting to evolving priorities and deadlines
• Proven innovation through research publication in leading robotics and AI conferences (e.g., ICRA, IROS, RSS, NeurIPS, CVPR) and granted or pending patents in related fields
• Experience with one or more of the following areas: 3D perception; kinematics and control for 6+ DoF robots; modern motion planning and controls algorithms; multi-agent systems; human-robot interaction
• Experience using simulation environments such as Isaac Sim, Gazebo, PyBullet, or others to speed system development and validation
• Business acumen and comfort assessing the financial viability of proposed projects

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different from what we've outlined, but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company, we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company, we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe, or keep you close to…