RESEARCH TECHNICIAN I

Position Summary We are seeking a graduate research assistant with a Master’s degree, or near completion of a Master’s degree, in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a closely related field. The position will support research on multimodal sensing and autonomous robotic resection workflows for precision surgical tools. The work will combine medical robotics, computer vision, experimental analysis, and surgical data-driven learning to advance safer and more effective image- and sensor-guided intervention. The candidate will contribute to the development, integration, and evaluation of robotic systems for precision scalpel control and tissue interaction analysis. A complementary component of the role will involve coordination with clinicians and hospital staff to support collection of high-quality surgical data from operative settings. Key Responsibilities Develop, integrate, and test robotic workflows for precision surgical tool control and autonomous resection. Design and conduct laboratory experiments using robotic systems, surgical devices, sensors, and tissue-mimicking or biological samples. Coordinate with clinicians, operating room staff, and research personnel for IRB-regulated surgical data collection. Organize, process, and analyze experimental and clinical datasets to support model development and decision-making. Maintain clear documentation of experimental protocols, datasets, system configurations, and results. Contribute to research reports, grant milestones, manuscripts, and presentations. Preferred Qualifications Master’s degree completed or near completion in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field. Strong interest in medical robotics, surgical robotics, computer vision, multimodal sensing, or image-guided intervention. Experience with experimental setup, data acquisition, quantitative analysis, and technical documentation. Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, C++, or similar technical computing environments. Ability to work independently while coordinating with multidisciplinary engineering and clinical teams. Experience with robotic systems, medical imaging, surgical tools, motion tracking, or sensor integration. Familiarity with computer vision, machine learning, signal processing, control, or experimental biomechanics. Prior experience with biomedical, clinical, or IRB-regulated research. Strong communication, organization, troubleshooting, and scientific documentation skills. Minimum Qualifications Education: Work requires an Associate’s degree in botany, biology, zoology, psychology or other science related scientific field. Experience: None required above education/training requirement OR an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience. Degrees, Licensures, Certifications: None required above education/training requirement OR an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience. Anticipated Pay Range Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $18.00 to USD $26.49. Duke University considers factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer. Benefits Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your paycheck. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at: Equal Opportunity Employer Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status. Essential Physical Job Functions Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and reasonable accommodation(s) can be requested with Duke Access and Accommodations Services (email: View email address on click.appcast.io; phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io). Location Nearest Major Market: Durham. Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh. EEO Resources Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo. #J-18808-Ljbffr Duke PF