The key duties of the position include The Role Are you a dynamic, energised and highly motivated person seeking a career opportunity in scientific leadership? Are you interested in advancing Australia's Defence capability through innovate science & technology research and development? If so, join us in shaping the future of military robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) as the Discipline Leader RAS Perception within the Autonomy Branch of Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG). As the Discipline Leader RAS Perception your responsibilities will include: Provide expert advice on robotics technologies and research opportunities to senior management, research partners and Defence personnel. Engage and collaborate broadly with the national ecosystem and strategic partner nations to conduct world-leading research in robotics technologies and applications. Manage and lead a small team of scientists, engineers and technicians. Design, manage and deliver complex programs of research-oriented work aligned to Defence Innovation, Science & Technology (IS&T) objectives. Mentor and support DSTG staff to advance their knowledge, skills and capability. Undertake experimentation activities, including field trials and exercises with ADF partners, in collaboration with other DSTG teams and partner organisations. About our Team The Ground Systems Autonomy (GSA) team is one of six groups within the Autonomy Branch of Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG). The RAS Perception discipline team supports the research objectives of the Group Leader GSA, through provision of world-class, multi-disciplinary and collaborative research, focused on sensing and perception for mobile robotics applications in military contexts. The group works closely with military stakeholders, internal and external partners, and the national Innovation, Science & Technology (IS&T) ecosystem. We deliver outcomes aligned to the National Defence Strategy that support timely authoritative advice and evidence-based decision making, through advanced modelling, simulation, prototyping, test and evaluation of robotic and autonomous platforms. Our Ideal Candidate We are seeking applicants who have a clear understanding of the problems faced by robotic platforms operating in natural environments, and ideally a technical background in machine perception. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated an ability to formulate novel solutions to problems, develop practical implementations and evaluate these in real systems, and be able to advise and inform stakeholders of outcomes. They will be formally qualified in engineering, information and computing sciences, mathematical sciences or a related academic discipline, or will have significant practical work experience in robotics applications, autonomous systems or their component technologies. They will have demonstrated experience in leading teams and managing complex programs of research-oriented work, with an emphasis on delivery of quality outcomes on time and within resource constraints. As a discipline leader, they will provide support and guidance to their team, to ensure they are informed of and aligned to Defence strategic objectives and priorities, and equipped to excel in their work. They will have experience working within a complex regulatory framework and an understanding of the sensitivities of working on Defence problems in a national and international setting. Applicants who meet some but not all of the requirements for this role are encouraged to apply.
