Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Learning Perceptive Contact-Rich LocoManipulation
Overview
The University of Oxford is offering a full-time, fixed-term position as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant within the Department of Engineering Science, specifically in the Machine Learning and Articulated Robots Group of the Oxford Robotics Institute. Located in central Oxford, this role is fixed-term for 24 months and is supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Centre to Centre Grant titled Mobile Robotic Inspector: Learning to Explore and Manipulate in the Real World.
The initiative is carried out in partnership with the RobotX Center for Robotics at ETH Zurich and involves a schedule of visits between the two institutions. The primary objective is to advance learning-based methodologies for contact-rich mobile manipulation and locomotion using legged systems and humanoids in dynamic industrial, service, and domestic environments. The appointee will concentrate on developing and utilizing perceptive approaches, creating control frameworks that combine multi-modal perception and tactile feedback, and executing design, implementation, and evaluation tasks in both simulated environments and on physical hardware.
Requirements
Applicants are required to hold, or be near completion of, a PhD or DPhil in machine learning, computer science, robotics, artificial intelligence, informatics, or a related discipline. Candidates must possess a strong academic background in fields pertinent to locomotion and manipulation, such as whole-body control, path and motion planning, multi-contact locomotion or manipulation, optimization, machine learning, and avatar animation. Practical experience working with physical robots and strong teamwork abilities are also necessary.
How to apply
Interested candidates must submit their applications online before the established closing time. The application package must include a curriculum vitae, a covering letter or supporting statement explaining how previous experience aligns with the role, and the contact information for two referees.
Key dates
The closing date for submissions is 23 November 2026, and applications must be received by noon GMT on that day.
About University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. Teaching there is documented from the late eleventh century, which makes it one of the oldest universities in the world, although its exact founding date is unknown. It has no single central campus, and its buildings are spread throughout the city. Every student belongs to a college, and the colleges operate alongside the university's academic departments, which are grouped into divisions.
Source: Wikipedia
Links in this posting
Explore more: opportunities in United Kingdom · Education & Research opportunities