Associate Researcher, Design and Manufacturing

Position Overview

The work we do at Autodesk touches nearly every person on the planet. By creating software tools for making buildings, machines, and even the latest movies, we influence and empower some of the most creative people in the world to solve problems that matter.

As an Associate Researcher, Design and Manufacturing on the Industry Futures team at Autodesk Research, you will be doing applied research that bridges the digital and physical worlds. Our team works at the intersection of manufacturing and AEC, imagining how AI-driven physical processes could reshape the way things are made -- and getting our hands dirty to test those ideas through real-world experimentation.

In this role, you will design and execute physical experiments in manufacturing settings, build data pipelines from sensor and equipment data, and develop and deploy machine learning models on edge devices in factory environments. You will work hands-on with manufacturing equipment, instrumentation, and embedded systems while applying rigorous computer science and data science methodology. This role is ideal for someone early in their career who has a strong foundation in computer science and a genuine passion for manufacturing and the physical world.

This role will report to a Research Manager on the Industry Futures team.

Given the physical experimentation component of the work, you will be expected to work on-site at Autodesk's Toronto office 4x/week.

This is a 1 year contract position.

Responsibilities

• Design, instrument, and execute physical experiments in manufacturing environments to generate structured, high-quality datasets
• Develop data acquisition and processing pipelines for sensor data, machine telemetry, images, and other physical-world signals
• Train, optimize, and deploy machine learning models on edge computing platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, Raspberry Pi, industrial PLCs) in manufacturing settings
• Collaborate with manufacturing partners and internal research teams to identify high-impact problems and translate them into well-scoped experiments
• Analyze experimental results and communicate findings to researchers, engineers, and leadership through clear visualizations and written reports
• Contribute to the development of research prototypes that demonstrate new AI-driven manufacturing capabilities
• Stay current with advances in edge AI, IoT, manufacturing informatics, and applied ML
• Write robust, testable code that is well documented and easy to understand

Minimum Qualifications

• Recently completed a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field
• Hands-on experience with Python and at least one ML framework (PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn)
• Comfort working with hardware, sensors, and physical experimental setups -- not just software
• Basic understanding of data acquisition from physical systems (e.g., sensors, cameras, serial protocols, APIs)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with an ability to work through ambiguity
• Excellent written communication skills to document experiments, code, and findings
• Willingness to work in manufacturing or lab environments (not exclusively remote desk work)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience deploying ML models on edge or embedded devices (NVIDIA Jetson, Coral, microcontrollers, or similar)
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes (CNC machining, additive manufacturing, injection molding, robotics, assembly, or quality inspection)
• Experience with computer vision (object detection, defect classification, pose estimation)
• Knowledge of IoT protocols and frameworks (MQTT, OPC-UA, ROS)
• Experience with cloud services and architectures (AWS, Azure) for data storage and model training
• Coursework, projects, or internships involving physical experimentation, lab instrumentation, or hardware-software integration
• Knowledge of the design, manufacturing, AEC, or media and entertainment industries
• Experience with Autodesk products (Fusion, AutoCAD, Inventor, or similar)

The Ideal Candidate

• A curious builder who is equally comfortable writing Python as they are troubleshooting a sensor on a shop floor
• A self-starter with the initiative to learn unfamiliar domains -- you don't need to be a manufacturing expert yet, but you want to become one
• A creative, hands-on problem-solver who thrives in ambiguous, newly forming research areas
• A strong communicator who can translate between the worlds of computer science and physical manufacturing
• Someone energized by seeing their work run in the real world, not just in a notebook

Learn More

About Autodesk Welcome to Autodesk! Amazing things are created every day with our software -- from the greenest buildings and cleanest cars to the smartest factories and biggest hit movies. We help innovators turn their ideas into reality, transforming not only how things are made, but what can be made.

We take great pride in our culture here at Autodesk -- our Culture Code is at the core of everything we do. Our values and ways of working help our people thrive and realize their potential, which leads to even better outcomes for our customers.

When you're an Autodesker, you can be your whole, authentic self and do meaningful work that helps build a better future for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!

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Equal Employment Opportunity At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Diversity & Belonging We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging and an equitable workplace where everyone can thrive. Learn more here:

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

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