Robotics and AI Scientist, Iowa Technology Institute

Overview

The Iowa Technology Institute within the College of Engineering is seeking a Robotics Simulation Engineer. This role focuses on the development and control of Santos, the virtual soldier, within the NVIDIA Isaac platform and applies advanced robotics principles to a humanoid model, creating and validating complex virtual human behaviors for simulation environments. This is a two-year specified term appointment (anticipated end date 8/31/2027) funded by the US Army I-STRIKE project.

• Utilize and process motion capture (MoCap) data to animate and validate Santos  movements, ensuring the virtual soldier s behavior is physically accurate and realistic.
• Perform basic and complex procedures and techniques as outlined in research protocol, ensure fidelity to protocols, may propose modifications to protocols and/or assist in the design of research protocols.
• Design portions of the research plan; monitor, test, and evaluate current procedures.
• Supervise adherence to safety and compliance guidelines when necessary.
• Contribute to progress reports required by funding agencies.
• Participate in the development of new proposals for research and obtain external funding support for new and/or continuing research activities.
• Perform experiments, simulations, or theoretical investigations. Collect data and evaluate relevance of data. Work independently on basic research tasks with oversight by Faculty or Principal Investigator (PI). Contribute to documentation of equipment and procedures.
• Prepare manuscripts for contributing author for publication. Present results in departmental seminars and at professional meetings.
• Participate in public outreach activities as required by funding sources. May participate in national and international meetings within the discipline.

• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s degree in related field and a minimum of 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Expert knowledge of robotic kinematics, including humanoid kinematics and locomotion, control theory, and advanced motion planning for complex, multi-degree-of-freedom systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python for simulation scripting, and exceptional skills in C++ for developing high-performance, real-time control modules.
• Extensive experience with NVIDIA Isaac Sim and the broader Omniverse platform, including building and configuring virtual worlds, importing assets, and using core APIs to create and test human-centric scenarios.
• Specific experience with humanoid robotics or virtual characters, with a focus on implementing inverse kinematics and bipedal control systems.
• Practical experience with virtual sensor creation and data processing for perception and navigation tasks within a simulated environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in related field and a minimum of 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Applicants must upload:
  Resume;
  Cover Letter.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Five professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.

For questions, contact Alex Schutman at alex-schutman

Regular salaried position. Pay level 5B. Located in Iowa City, Iowa.

Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans.

For more information about Why Iowa? .

Joining the University of Iowa means becoming a vital part of the Hawkeye community, where your work directly impacts education, research, and student success. Benefits include exceptional health coverage, university-paid life insurance, robust retirement plans, generous leave policies, 24/7 support services, well-being resources, and access to UI Health Care specialists. Iowa offers a high quality of life with cultural and recreational opportunities.

• Classification
  
  Title:
  
  Engineering Specialist
• Appointment Type:
  Professional and Scientific
• Schedule:
  
  Full-time
• Work Modality Options:
  On Campus

• Pay Level: 5B

• Organization:
  College of Engineering
• Contact Name:
  Alex Schutman
• Contact Email: alex-schutman