Robotics Researcher Job in Aachen | RWTH Aachen University

RWTH Aachen University has an academic research post in Aachen for work on Physical AI and Robot Learning at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision. The position is framed around learning-based robotic systems that can perceive, reason and act in complex environments, making it suited to a researcher who wants to turn computational ideas into work tested in both simulated and physical settings.

The successful candidate would contribute to a growing Physical AI research group within the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. The work combines method development, model implementation, evaluation and experiments with robots. Its subject matter ranges across vision-language-action models, world models and active perception, with room for research questions in areas such as structured memory, cognitive alignment, hybrid learning methods and medical robotics.

Opportunity Details

Physical AI research from models to robot experiments

An academic post at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision

The official vacancy identifies the post as a doctoral researcher position in the Physical AI Lab at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision. Its research direction is the development of generalist robots that autonomously address real-world, long-horizon tasks. Rather than limiting the work to a single technique, the role connects robot learning with perception, reasoning and action in complex environments.

The research agenda can include vision-language-action models, robotic world models, active perception, structured memory systems, human-robot cognitive alignment, hybrid imitation and reinforcement learning, and medical robotics. These are stated as possible topics, so the precise research focus can be shaped within the group’s scientific programme rather than being presented as a fixed list of separate posts.

Aachen is the stated location for the full-time academic appointment. The vacancy describes a fixed-term arrangement of up to three years, with a possible extension of up to a further three years, and notes an opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree. Pay is assigned to pay grade EG 13 TV-L; the official notice does not state a monetary amount.

About the Employer: RWTH Aachen University

University reporting and research structures

Published material on teaching, research and institutional data

RWTH Aachen University presents official information about its development, current structure and activities in teaching and research through published statistical resources and presentations. Its Table of Figures brings together core data from academic and financial years, including enrolment, admissions, graduates, staff and financial information. The university describes these materials as inputs to planning and management tools as well as accessible information for interested readers.

The university’s published “RWTH in Figures” material gives an overview of institutional development, current structure and selected insights from teaching and research. A companion visual presentation focuses on data relating to students, graduates, doctoral degrees and staff. For a research applicant, these publications provide context that the employer documents university activity through recurring facts-and-figures resources rather than through a single short profile statement.

RWTH describes its Profile Areas as thematically focused research platforms within its research landscape. The stated purpose is to connect researchers across disciplines and departments when complex questions benefit from approaches that do not stay within traditional academic boundaries. The university lists nine Profile Areas covering subjects that include information and communication technology, modelling and simulation sciences, medical science and technology, mobility and transport engineering, and production engineering.

Interdisciplinary platforms relevant to robotics research

Research areas, facilities and collaboration across fields

According to the official Profile Areas page, these platforms combine research with facilities and partnerships involving academia and industry in Germany and internationally. The page also explains that the structure is intended to shorten the path from laboratory work to application. That cross-disciplinary setting is relevant to a robot-learning position whose official topic list spans learning methods, visual perception, language-oriented models and medical robotics.

The vacancy itself places this role at the Chair of Imaging and Computer Vision in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology. It names access to the newly built NEURA Gym RWTH Aachen, where robots operate in real-world scenarios, alongside on-premises computing infrastructure and GPU clusters available on demand. Those stated resources give the position a practical experimental context in addition to its academic research and publication work.

Open Positions

Application Guidance

Show the connection between your research record and the lab’s methods

Use concrete evidence of implementation, evaluation and technical communication

Research groups read applications for fit with their programme, so tie earlier projects explicitly to robot learning and physical AI. Candidates may identify a project, thesis or research contribution involving robot learning, perception, machine learning, computer vision, language models, diffusion methods or reinforcement learning, then explain their own technical contribution. Where work involved real systems or simulations, it can be useful to distinguish the experimental question, the implementation choices and the way results were evaluated.

The vacancy gives particular weight to rapid prototyping and to implementing and evaluating ideas, preferably with Python and PyTorch. An applicant can therefore organise their materials around concrete evidence of those capabilities, while also showing scientific curiosity and an ability to collaborate. Clear English writing is especially useful because excellent English communication is stated for the role; German can be mentioned accurately as an additional advantage where relevant.

• Describe a relevant master’s project, thesis or comparable research work and state your personal contribution.
• Give a concise example of Python and, where applicable, PyTorch work used to prototype or evaluate a research idea.
• Explain any experience with simulations, physical robots, computer vision or learning-based systems without overstating its scope.
• Connect your research interests to one or more stated topics, such as active perception, robot world models or hybrid learning.
• Use clear English and show how you work independently while contributing constructively with collaborators.
• Do not include a photograph, in line with the employer’s stated application guidance.

How to Apply

Submit Your Application Through the Verified Route

Send materials through the employer’s stated email contact

The verified route for this vacancy is the email contact provided by RWTH Aachen University in the application section below. The official notice does not specify a prescribed document set, so applicants can prepare materials that directly demonstrate the stated degree background, research interests, programming capability and relevant technical work.

Write in clear English to align with the communication expectation stated for the post. Before sending, check that the material describes your own contribution to research, implementation or experiments accurately. The employer asks applicants not to include a photograph.