Job Requisition ID #
Autodesk Research partners with academia, industry, and government to explore the future of design, engineering, and making. Our teams combine scientific rigor with creative exploration to transform ideas into technologies that empower people to make anything.
The Manufacturing Industry Futures team focuses on redefining how things are designed and made using data, automation, intelligence, and new forms of human-machine collaboration. We work at the intersection of applied research, industry needs, emerging technology, and Autodesk’s future platforms.
Position OverviewAutodesk Research is seeking a Senior Research Engineer to help shape the future of design and make through applied research in agentic AI, generative AI, design systems, simulation, and creative engineering workflows.
This role is focused on a new research platform exploring completely new ways to design. We are interested in how frontier AI models, agents, knowledge graphs, simulation, and design tools can come together to help people imagine, explore, evaluate, and create in ways that are not possible today.
This is not a role for someone focused only on foundational AI research. We are looking for someone who understands design, engineering, and creative technical workflows, and who is excited by using AI as a practical and creative medium for design and making. You should be curious about how AI can support design thinking, accelerate exploration, automate workflows, connect knowledge across tools, and help people move from intent to outcome.
You will join a fast-paced, experimental, startup-like research team working on emerging AI technologies and their application to industry problems. You will build prototypes, work with both Autodesk products and research tools, experiment with agentic systems, and contribute to a strong research culture that supports innovation, publishing, invention, and technology transfer.
This is an individual contributor role based in London, United Kingdom. We support hybrid work, and you will work with colleagues across Autodesk Research.
Responsibilities- Conduct applied research into agentic AI workflows for design, engineering, and making.
- Design, build, and test prototypes that explore new ways for people to create, evaluate, and refine designs using AI.
- Develop experimental workflows that combine generative AI, frontier models, agents, MCP-style toolchains, knowledge graphs, design tools, simulation, and engineering data.
- Explore how AI can support design thinking, creative exploration, ideation, iteration, decision-making, and the movement from concept to manufacturable or buildable outcomes.
- Use AI-assisted development, rapid prototyping, and “vibe coding” approaches to quickly test ideas, build demonstrations, and learn from experiments.
- Work with Autodesk products, prototype research tools, APIs, and emerging AI systems to create new design and make experiences.
- Apply engineering judgment and domain knowledge to ensure AI-enabled workflows are useful, grounded, and relevant to real-world design and industry contexts.
- Collaborate closely with Autodesk Research colleagues in a fast-moving, multidisciplinary environment.
- Contribute to research projects from early concept through prototyping, experimentation, evaluation, and communication.
- Help translate research insights into prototypes, intellectual property, publications, demonstrations, and potential future platform capabilities.
- Share findings clearly through prototypes, technical documentation, presentations, demos, and research communication.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field.
- A few years of relevant industry, research, applied R&D, product innovation, or advanced prototyping experience.
- Experience using AI tools, agents, generative AI systems, or AI-assisted workflows in creative, design, engineering, or technical contexts.
- Strong understanding of design thinking, creative processes, and how people move from ideas to concepts, prototypes, simulations, or engineered outcomes.
- Engineering domain knowledge, such as mechanical engineering, product design, industrial design, simulation, manufacturing-aware design, or related technical fields.
- Ability to build prototypes quickly using modern software tools, AI-assisted coding, APIs, scripting, and experimental development workflows.
- Curiosity about agentic AI, frontier models, tool-using AI systems, and new ways of interacting with design and engineering software.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work across disciplines and explain emerging technical ideas clearly.
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, ambiguous research environment where ideas are tested, challenged, refined, and rapidly prototyped.
- A hands-on mindset and a track record of experimenting with emerging technologies.
- Deeper experience with AI-enabled design, agentic systems, generative AI, frontier models, or AI-assisted software development.
- Experience with MCP or similar tool-use frameworks, AI agents, multi-agent systems, knowledge graphs, retrieval-augmented generation, or AI orchestration workflows.
- Experience applying AI to design, engineering, simulation, product development, creative tools, or digital making workflows.
- Familiarity with design and engineering software, including Autodesk products such as Fusion, Forma, Revit, Inventor, or related tools.
- Experience with simulation, optimisation, model-based design, computational design, or engineering analysis workflows.
- Experience developing prototypes, research demos, publications, patents, or technologies that have influenced products or industry practice.
- Experience working in startup-like, fast-paced, experimental, or highly ambiguous technical environments.
- Curiosity for exploring uncharted territory and shaping the future of how people design and make things.
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 – it’s at the core of everything we do. Our culture guides the way we work and treat each other, informs how we connect with customers and partners, and defines how we show up in the world.
When you’re an Autodesker, you can do meaningful work that helps build a better world designed and made for all. Ready to shape the world and your future? Join us!
Salary transparency
Salary is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience and geographic location. In addition to base salaries, our compensation package may include annual cash bonuses, commissions for sales roles, stock grants, and a comprehensive benefits package.Belonging
We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging
Are you an existing contractor or consultant with Autodesk?
Please search for open jobs and apply internally (not on this external site).
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, HCI, or related field
- A few years of relevant industry, research, applied R&D, product innovation, or advanced prototyping experience
- Experience using AI tools, agents, or generative AI systems in creative, design, engineering, or technical contexts
- Strong understanding of design thinking and creative processes from idea to prototype or engineered outcome
- Engineering domain knowledge (mechanical engineering, product design, industrial design, simulation, manufacturing-aware design, or related)
- Ability to build prototypes quickly using modern software tools, AI-assisted coding, APIs, and scripting
- Curiosity about agentic AI, frontier models, tool-using AI systems, and new interaction paradigms
- Strong communication and collaboration skills to work across disciplines and explain technical ideas
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, ambiguous research environment with rapid prototyping and iteration
- Hands-on mindset and track record of experimenting with emerging technologies
- Deeper experience with AI-enabled design, agentic systems, generative AI, or AI-assisted software development
- Experience with MCP or similar tool-use frameworks, multi-agent systems, knowledge graphs, or AI orchestration
- Experience applying AI to design, engineering, simulation, product development, or digital making workflows
- Familiarity with design and engineering software (e.g., Autodesk Fusion, Forma, Revit, Inventor)
- Experience with simulation, optimisation, model-based design, or computational design workflows
- Experience developing prototypes, research demos, publications, patents, or technologies influencing products
- Experience working in startup-like, fast-paced, experimental, or highly ambiguous technical environments
Autodesk Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Autodesk and has not been reviewed or approved by Autodesk.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time away is considered expansive, combining discretionary time off for salaried roles, company holidays/Autodays, and a periodic paid sabbatical. These options provide flexibility beyond standard accrual-based PTO.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Total rewards prominently include RSUs and an employee stock purchase plan with a discount and lookback, alongside annual bonus or commission programs. These elements are available to eligible employees and can materially augment base pay.
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Parental & Family Support — Family-building support includes reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, IVF/co‑maternity, and fertility benefits, plus dedicated coaching and Cleo resources for parenting and caregiving. These services extend support before, during, and after leave.
Autodesk Insights
What We Do
Autodesk makes software for people who make things. If you’ve ever driven a high-performance car, admired a towering skyscraper, used a smartphone, or watched a great film, chances are you’ve experienced what millions of Autodesk customers are doing with our software. Autodesk gives you the power to make anything. Over 100 million people use Autodesk software like AutoCAD, Revit, Maya, 3ds Max, Fusion 360, SketchBook, and more to unlock their creativity and solve important design, business and environmental challenges. Our software runs on both personal computers and mobile devices and taps the infinite computing power of the cloud to help teams around the world collaborate, design, simulate and fabricate their ideas in 3D. We provide exceptional compensation/benefit packages and we’d love for you to join us. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, gender, disability, veteran status or other protected category. To see our culture in action, check out #AutodeskLife. We are headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and have more than 10,000 employees worldwide.
Why Work With Us
Our work is impactful. Our people are innovative. And our culture is inclusive. As our software shapes new solutions to the world’s biggest challenges, you shape your career path. With us, you lead the way in achieving sustainability, resilient communities, and an equitable workforce. Discover #AutodeskLife.
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