Job No. 159754
- Job Title:
- Research and Development Engineer I
- Employer:
-
Iowa State University
- Location:
-
Ames , IA
- Posting Date:
- 02-Oct-2026
- Description:
-
Job Description:
Build the Future of Agriculture
Build your engineering career by working hands-on with advanced agricultural machinery, automation, controls, and field-tested technologies that make an impact in real-world agriculture.
Who We Are
The Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State University partners with leading agricultural companies to design, build, and deploy next-generation technologies for agriculture. Our team works at the intersection of applied engineering, industry collaboration, and the land-grant mission, moving ideas from concept to prototype to field deployment.
Our vision is bold: to be the premier thought leader and partner in ag innovation.
Our mission guides everything we do: Innovate. Educate. Outreach.
We operate with four core values: Passion. Innovation. Collaboration. Excellence.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Research & Development Engineer I to contribute to innovative research and development projects focused on advanced agricultural machinery, automation, and control systems.
This is a hands-on engineering role where you will work alongside experienced engineers to design, develop, integrate, test, and evaluate technologies for real agricultural equipment. You will gain experience across software, electrical, sensing, mechanical, and fluid power systems while supporting projects from development through field testing.
This role provides an opportunity to build technical depth, work with emerging agricultural technologies, and grow professionally in a collaborative, learning-focused engineering environment.
What You'll Do
Collaborate with engineering teams on the design, development, testing, and evaluation of automated agricultural machinery.
Support technical engineering activities including control software development, model-based software development, and field testing of agricultural equipment.
Plan and develop test programs under the guidance of technical leads, including integration of software, electrical, sensing, mechanical, and fluid power systems.
Integrate sensors and hardware, collect and analyze data, identify performance trends, and use results to support software and system improvements.
Summarize project results and communicate technical outcomes to internal and external stakeholders.
Safely operate agricultural equipment and machinery while following established safety practices and procedures.
What You Bring
Foundational engineering knowledge with an interest in agricultural machinery, automation, controls, or related technologies.
Ability to apply engineering principles to the development, integration, testing, and troubleshooting of technical systems.
Interest in working across software, electrical, sensing, mechanical, and fluid power systems.
Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret engineering and test data.
Strong communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Interest in hands-on engineering and working with agricultural equipment in lab and field environments.
Technology & Systems You May Work With
Projects in the Digital Ag Innovation Lab focus on integrating advanced technologies into fully functional equipment systems. Depending on the project, you may work with:
Agricultural equipment and automated machinery
Vehicle communication networks, including CAN
MATLAB and Simulink
CANoe
NI LabVIEW and DEWESoft
Sensors, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems
Control software and model-based development tools
Electrical, mechanical, sensing, and fluid power systems
Laboratory and field-testing platforms
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
Experience or familiarity with CAN, MATLAB, Simulink, CANoe, NI LabVIEW, or DEWESoft.
Experience operating agricultural equipment and machinery.
Experience with data acquisition systems, instrumentation, or engineering testing.