Research Associate in CANOPY Project

Package: Specialist and Supporting Academic Research grade 6 from £35608

Job description

Full time, fixed term, 18 months, starting Sept 14th 2026 

Join us and be part of a vibrant community at Loughborough University. 

Here’s more about the role and what we’re looking for: 

This role is part of an Innovate UK-funded project developing the first autonomous canopy-zone-specific crop protection robot system for protected strawberry production. We are looking for an ambitious Research Associate who would like to contribute to the development of a novel autonomous robotic platform capable of precisely delivering biological and chemical crop protection treatments within commercial strawberry polytunnels. This post will focus on developing and integrating robotic perception, localisation and manipulation technologies to enable accurate detection and treatment of specific crop canopy zones. Working as part of a multidisciplinary academic and industrial research team, the successful candidate will develop and validate novel LiDAR and vision-based algorithms, integrate these with a robotic manipulator and conduct laboratory and commercial field trials. The researcher will also work closely with project partners to support system integration, project delivery and the dissemination of research findings through technical reports, academic publications and conferences. 

About the University 

Universities are one of this country’s greatest assets. We’re educators, employers, innovators and pioneers. We shape culture and society. 

At Loughborough, we strive for better, think differently, challenge convention and take action. We are passionate about finding solutions to the major problems faced by society and the planet, and we create opportunities for those with the drive, the ambition, and the determination to apply themselves in the pursuit of better. 

About the Department 

The successful candidate will be jointly hosted within the department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering. Working within the Loughborough University Centre for Autonomous Systems contributing to a multidisciplinary research environment focused on autonomous robotic systems and their application to real-world challenges.

About You 

You should have: 

• a PhD or be very near completion in a relevant field 
  
  
• a background in robotics or autonomous systems 

• experience with robot manipulators and robotic perception 

• experience with ROS/ROS2 and programming skills with C++ and/or Python 

• a track record in authoring original work for academic journal papers or similar  

Experience in robot learning, manipulator control, LiDAR-based localisation and/or semantic segmentation would be desirable. 

Why should you Apply? 

With huge amount of variety in the role, there is an opportunity for you to develop and continually grow. 

If this sounds like the right place, team and role for you please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.  

Informal enquiries should be directed to Matthew Coombes, via email to m.j.coombes@lboro.ac.ukor by telephone to 01509 225900.

For more information refer to the Job Description and Person Specification. 

Application Process 

For further support with your application, please refer to our application guidance, which includes some top tips to help you when completing your application.

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process. If there are additional adjustments, you’d like to request please contact Tomasz Cendrowski at T.K.Cendrowski@lboro.ac.uk. 

We also offer reasonable adjustments on the job. 

Closing Date: 24th August 

Interview Date: 31st August 

Please note: This role is subject to full project funding being confirmed. At this stage, we cannot guarantee that the recruitment process will ultimately lead to an employment contract being offered. 

Our Benefits

At Loughborough, our benefits are designed to support your life inside and outside of work, helping you to thrive and feel valued as part of our community. Examples of our benefits include:

Time off - generous holiday allowance, including 14 university closure days and bank holidays, with the option to buy extra through our holiday purchase scheme

Where you work - access to a range of fantastic facilities with plenty of green space across our 523-acre East Midlands campus, plus an exciting community at our London campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Financial wellbeing - competitive pay, two excellent pension schemes, and everyday savings opportunities

Support for you and those close to you - through our range of life event leave policies as well as access to an on-site nursery at our East Midlands campus, flexible and hybrid working options

Health and wellbeing - discounted gym memberships and access to world-class sporting facilities, including physiotherapy, plus healthcare offers such as eyesight testing and wellbeing support

Travel and sustainability - access to our electric vehicle and cycle-to-work schemes, as well as a variety of travel offers to support sustainable commuting

Discover more about the full range of rewards and benefits at Loughborough University.