Postdoctoral Researcher or Associate Research Scientist – Robot Hardware (m/f/d)

About The Role & Team

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher or an Associate Research Scientist – Robot Hardware to join our legged robotics research team. This role requires a unique blend of academic rigor and practical engineering excellence. You will not only design and build new types of robots but also use a scientific approach to evaluate them.

You will work in a fast-paced environment where specifications are often undefined. You must be comfortable "filling in the blanks," brainstorming with a cross-disciplinary team, and moving rapidly from concept to physical prototype.

Disney Research Imagineering in Zurich is a specialized group within the R&D arm of Walt Disney Imagineering. We are pushing the boundaries of expressive and believable robotic characters. We are a small, cross-disciplinary team that develops complete robotic characters in-house, spanning hardware, software, and controls. Our work ranges from early-stage research—leading to tech demos, patents, and scientific publications—to developing hardened prototypes deployed to Disney sites around the world.

You’ll join a team grounded in our Disney values — acting with Integrity, welcoming everyone through Inclusion, embracing boundless Creativity, working together through Collaboration and caring deeply for our Community. These values shape how we work and how we support one another every day.

This role will require you to be predominantly onsite in our Zurich office.

What You Will Do

Mechanical Design & Engineering

• Design & Innovation: Lead the mechanical design of novel legged robots and character sub-systems.

• Component Selection: Perform rigorous actuator sizing/selection, linkage design, and identification of suitable COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) components vs. custom hardware.

• Sensor Integration: Collaborate with software teams to understand sensor requirements (e.g., cameras), source suitable hardware, and integrate them tightly into the robot chassis.

• Documentation: Create detailed documentation and drawings to facilitate the handover of designs to internal and external productization partners.

Prototyping & Fabrication

• Hands-on Building: Efficiently realize prototypes using in-house equipment (3D printing, laser cutting, molding) and manual assembly.

• Vendor Management: Work with external vendors for advanced manufacturing (CNC, sheet metal, high-resolution 3D printing) to build experimental setups and robust robots.

• Infrastructure: Design and build robot stands, fixtures, and test setups to support the lab environment.

Research & Experimentation

• Scientific Evaluation: Devise and run experiments to critically evaluate new ideas, subsystems, and full robots.

• Innovation: Investigate new techniques and technologies, such as novel actuation methods or soft robotics (elastomers).

• Academic Contribution: Contribute to the writing of patents and academic scientific publications.

Collaboration & Support

• Cross-Disciplinary Work: Partner closely with electrical, software, and creative teams to ensure holistic robot performance.

• Field Support: Debug and repair robots in the field; travel may be required to support project needs.

• Mentorship: Support ongoing research efforts within the team and assist with experimental hardware as required.

Required Qualifications

• Education: PhD in Robotics or Mechanical.

• Experience: 5+ years of relevant experience in hardware design and robotics.

• CAD Proficiency: Expert-level user of CAD software (SolidWorks preferred).

• Engineering Fundamentals: Strong practical understanding of GD&T, actuator sizing, and mechanism design.

• Prototyping: Proven ability to take a project from concept to physical prototype, with hands-on workshop skills.

• Research Mindset: Ability to work on complex problems with undefined specifications and critically evaluate new ideas.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for cross-team collaboration and publication writing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Legged Robotics: Specific experience designing and building legged platforms.

• Materials: Experience with elastomers, molding, and soft robotics materials.

• Electrical Skills: Practical EE skills (soldering, wiring, cable management) to produce clean, functional prototypes.

• Interdisciplinary Knowledge: Basic knowledge of software or controls to facilitate better collaboration with software engineers.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.