Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

A full-time, permanent position is available as the Branch Chief for the Collaborative Autonomy Branch (CAB) within the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Division (RASD) of the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). RASD/CAB has 15+ employees providing analysis, research and development supporting autonomous multi-agent systems and associated testing and development efforts. Capabilities provided by RASD/CAB include software development, simulation, and field testing of collaborative multi-agent systems. The development of autonomy behaviors and associated control of physical systems is a core area of responsibility for branch personnel.

GTRI is searching for a branch leader and engineer/scientist with experience in multi-agent autonomy development, simulation, test and evaluation. The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience in the evaluation of autonomous systems and their performance associated with simulated, surrogate and objective platforms. Program development and program management is required to develop and manage programs in the area of autonomy behavior development, performance evaluation, and testing. Personnel development is also required to execute staffing needs of individual programs within and outside of the branch.

The responsibilities of the branch leader are shared with the associate branch chief and split between the management of the branch and actively performing research programs. This position is expected to consume approximately 10%-25% time. The remaining time is anticipated to come from sponsored research. The branch is located in Smyrna, GA on the Georgia Tech’s Cobb County Research Facility (CCRF). Travel is required in conducting GTRI research, developing business, meeting with customers and demonstrating applied solutions.

Job Purpose

Lead multiple sponsored research projects. Manage Branch (7-15 FTE) administrative activities including hiring, appraisals and sponsored project success.

Additional Responsibilities

• Personnel management including student and full-time Research Faculty hiring, performance evaluations, staffing, early career development, etc., primarily for autonomy behavior development, test and evaluation.
• Management of budgets, resources, and compliance with policies and procedures.
• Communicate overall Branch health during RASD leadership meetings.
• Responsible for branch staffing, employee appraisals, timesheets.
• Oversight of branch programs and operational resources and activities.
• Maintaining the technical health of branch employees through professional development, training, and promoting publication of novel research in appropriate venues.
• Development of strategic vision and execution plan for the branch in conjunction with the Division and Laboratory Leadership.
• Development of research collaborations between other GTRI laboratories.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with state-of-the-art algorithms on real-world mobile robot systems, including field test experimentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Top Secret Clearance.
• Experience with contributing to large programs and executing assigned tasking.
• Managing organization resources and evaluating personnel performance.
• Demonstrated record of managing personnel and resolving complex personnel issues.
• Experience with C++, ROS, Git, Linux, and SCRIMMAGE or similar simulation architectures is a plus.

Travel Requirements

• 10% - 25% travel.

Education and Length of Experience

This position vacancy is an open-rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook

• 5-9 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, AI/ML, or any related field.
• 3-7 years of related experience with a Masters’ degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, AI/ML, or any related field.
• 0-4 years of related experience with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, AI/ML, or any related field.

Please refer to our Research Faculty Technical Level Guidelines for minimum requirements at the higher levels (3,4,5).

U.S. Citizenship Requirements

Due to our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be U.S. Citizens.

Clearance Type Required

Candidates must be able to obtain and maintain an active security clearance.

Benefits at GTRI

Comprehensive information on currently offered GTRI benefits, including Health & Welfare, Retirement Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Time Off, and Professional Development, can be found through this link: https://benefits.hr.gatech.edu/.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services.  Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions.  This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

USG Core Values Statement

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.