Vacant job

Do you want to develop your research and teaching in an environment where collaboration with industry and society is a natural part of the work? With us, you will collaborate with dedicated colleagues, have access to modern research infrastructure, and enjoy strong opportunities to attract external funding. You will have the space to make a real difference for your students, your research, and society at large.

RAI (https://www.ltu.se/research/subjects/RoboticsAI?l=en), the subject of Robotics and AI at the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering at Luleå University of Technology, is now looking for a Researcher to contribute to our growing activities. The RAI team is conducting fundamental research in all aspects of robotics with a specific focus on aerial, space, and bio-inspired robotics.

Subject Description

Robotics and artificial intelligence aim to develop novel robotic systems characterized by advanced autonomy to improve the ability of robots to interact with the surrounding environment and humans during the execution of specific tasks.

Project Description

The vision of RAI is to close the gap from theory to real life, while the team has strong expertise in field robotics. Specific application areas of focus are robotics for mines, aerial inspection of aging infrastructure, multi-robot search and rescue, multi-sensorial fusion, and multi-robot coordination, including multi-robot perception, decentralization, and mission execution. The RAI team has strong European and National participation in multiple R&D&I projects.

Duties

The duties of a researcher primarily comprise research. Teaching and pedagogical development work may be included in the duties, up to a maximum of 20% of the working hours. You will perform research with substantial experimental components that should be published in peer-reviewed international journals and at major conferences. The position will include supervision of PhD and MSc students, teaching, and supporting in acquiring funds for future research projects from research funding agencies/councils, EU framework programs, or industry.

You will be working in the field of robotic autonomy, and all activities will be linked with National, European, and worldwide R&D Projects.

Characteristic research topics will focus on, but not be limited to, the following areas, where proof of previous work with experimentally verified results is necessary:

Research Topics: Field Robotics with a focus on Extreme Environments

• Navigation through unknown environments
  • Rapid dynamics-based planning
  • Semantic-based Exploration
  • Source localization
• Perception in sensor-degraded environments:
  • Localization in smoke and dust-filled environments
  • Scene awareness
  • Biometric/triage evaluations, etc.
• Mission-specific modules such as autonomous firefighting, sampling, rescue operations, or large-scale mission planning.

Qualifications

In order to be eligible for employment as a researcher, you must have a PhD or a foreign degree equivalent to a PhD in Automatic Control or a related subject. A doctoral degree awarded no more than three years before the application deadline provides a useful qualification. Candidates who have been awarded a doctoral degree at an earlier date may also be considered if there are special grounds, for example, different types of statutory leave of absence.

The research tasks require a solid mathematical background with proven advanced experimental capabilities and excellent programming skills (e.g., C++, ROS, Matlab, etc.). You should have a strong vision to evaluate and demonstrate the research findings in real-life operating conditions, in an approach to close the gap between pure theory and experimental verifications. You will need to represent the group in different contexts, both in Sweden and abroad, and hence have excellent skills in English.

Further Information

The employment is limited to 1 year, full time. Starting date 1 September 2026 until 31 August 2027. Placement: Luleå.

For further information please contact:

George Nikolakopoulos, Chaired Professor (+46) 920 491298, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

Union representatives:

SACO-S Diana Chroneer, (+46) 920-49 2037, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

OFR-S Marika Vesterberg, (+46) 920-49 1721, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Application

We prefer that you apply for this position by clicking on the Apply button below. The application should include a detailed CV with a full description of all the scientific merits and publications of the candidate, a motivation letter, a research plan with a description of the research topics, a list of successful grant applications, a list of 2 people that could provide recommendations for the candidate, and copies of verified and translated diplomas from high school and universities. Mark your application with the reference number below. Your application, including diplomas, must be written in English or Swedish.

Closing date for application: 8 June 2026

Reference number: 3169-2026