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We are now looking for a PhD candidate in Control Engineering at the Department of Electrical Engineering (ISY).

Your Responsibilities

We are seeking a PhD candidate to conduct research at the intersection of robotics and control theory.

Project Description: This PhD project aims to develop learning-based methods that combine expert demonstrations with experience-based reinforcement learning (RL) to enable robust and data-efficient skill development. Expert data provides rapid, safe, and reliable initial learning, while reinforcement learning supports systematic exploration and adaptation to new conditions. By integrating these two paradigms, the project aims to create generalizable strategies for mobile manipulation that work effectively across a variety of real-world scenarios. The following research directions will be pursued:

• Q1: How can an agent leverage multimodal expert demonstrations (e.g., vision, force, proprioception) to develop coherent and transferable skills in mobile manipulation?
• Q2: How can an agent use experience-based learning to control redundant degrees of freedom and handle task variations beyond those demonstrated?

The research is conducted within the ELLIIT project “Learning Robot Control from Expert Demonstrations and Own Experience” (https://elliit.se/ (https://elliit.se/)).

As a PhD candidate, you will engage in your doctoral education and the research project you are part of. Your work may also include teaching or participating in other departmental assignments, up to 20 percent of full-time.

Your Qualifications

You have a master's degree in electrical engineering, engineering physics, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, robotics, or technical mathematics, or have completed courses totaling at least 240 ECTS credits, of which at least 60 ECTS credits at the master's level as mentioned above, or have acquired equivalent knowledge in another way. The degree requirement must be fulfilled by the time the employment decision is made, i.e., when the employment contract is signed.

We are looking for someone who is eager to learn new things and explore the unknown. Furthermore, you are detail-oriented and have the ability to express yourself clearly and effectively in English, both verbally and in writing.

In addition, you should also meet the following qualifications:

• A strong background in robotics and control engineering,
• Strong analytical skills and good problem-solving abilities,
• Solid programming experience (e.g., Python, C++ or similar),
• Good ability to work both independently and in teams,

Additional qualifications that are considered advantageous:

• Knowledge of machine learning, reinforcement learning, and optimization,
• Experience with multimodal sensor data (vision, force/torque, proprioception),
• Experience with simulation environments such as PyBullet, MuJoCo, Gazebo, or Isaac Sim.

Your Workplace

The Department of Control Engineering successfully conducts research, doctoral education, and undergraduate education in areas such as autonomous systems, data-driven modeling, complex networks, learning control, optimization, and sensor fusion. The department has extensive collaborations with both industry and other research groups around the world.

More information about the department can be found here: https://liu.se/organisation/liu/isy/rt (https://liu.se/organisation/liu/isy/rt). To learn more about ISY, visit: https://liu.se/artikel/lediga-tjanster-pa-isy (https://liu.se/artikel/lediga-tjanster-pa-isy).

About the Employment

Upon commencement of employment, you will be admitted to the doctoral program. Read more about the respective faculty's doctoral education here.

The employment is time-limited to normally four years full-time. Extension of employment up to five years may occur based on the degree of teaching and departmental assignments. In special circumstances, further extension may occur. You will initially be employed for one year, and thereafter the employment will be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time, based on the achieved study plan.

Please feel free to contact [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) if you have questions about what it is like to work as a PhD candidate at ISY.

Start date by agreement, but we expect you to have commenced employment no later than October 31, 2026.

A security check may be conducted before a decision on employment is made.

Salary and Benefits

The PhD salary is regulated based on a locally agreed salary scale. Read more about employee benefits here.

Union Contacts

Information about union contacts can be found in Help for Applicants.

Application

You apply for this position by clicking the “Apply” button below. Your application must be received by Linköping University no later than February 27, 2026. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, as this enriches and develops our activities. For us, it is self-evident to uphold everyone's equal value, rights, and opportunities. Read about our work with Equal Conditions.

Welcome with your application!

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