PhD Researcher, Predictive Agentic Systems for Building Design

26WD101631

Position Overview

As a Research Intern at Autodesk Research, you will explore and apply novel technologies and techniques to empower our customers in designing and building a better, safer, and more sustainable world. We are a team of researchers, engineers, and industry domain experts working on projects that range from learning-based design systems, computer vision, graphics, robotics, human-computer interaction, sustainability, simulation, manufacturing, architectural design and construction.

Working with a multidisciplinary research team across AI, AEC and design, you'll develop and evaluate agentic workflows that help people and AI agents understand the consequences of design and construction decisions, answering "what happens if I change this?" quickly and reliably. Possible research directions may include training world models, such as Joint-Embedding Predictive Architectures (JEPA), that predict the outcomes of design actions; coordinating multi-agent systems and agent swarms that explore, critique and refine many design alternatives at once; and combining agents with fast, structured decision models that make reliable judgments in real time.

You'll build research prototypes, develop evaluation methods and benchmarks, and explore how this research could inform future Autodesk design workflows.

Responsibilities

• Research agentic workflows for AEC design and construction.

• Develop methods using world models, multi-agent systems, and/or fast decision models.

• Work with design, simulation, and building data, including geometry, BIM, and performance results.

• Design experiments and benchmarks to evaluate AI predictions and decisions against simulation and expert judgment.

• Build and evaluate research prototypes integrated with design tools.

• Document and communicate findings through papers, presentations, and demonstrations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Computational Design, Architecture, Civil/Structural Engineering, or a related field, with a completion date in 2028 or later.

• Research experience in AI/ML, AI agents, world models, reinforcement learning, or a related computational field.

• Strong programming skills, ideally with Python and modern ML frameworks.

• Experience designing computational experiments and working with complex datasets.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following: world models, JEPA, or model-based reinforcement learning; multi-agent systems or agent orchestration; tool-using LLM agents or MCP; self-supervised learning for 3D geometry or graphs; building performance simulation or surrogate models; AEC industry practice or computational design; or Autodesk tools such as Revit or Forma.

About the Research Intern Program (US)

The 2027 Research Internship Program is a 16-week paid program running from May 24 to Sept 10, 2027. You’ll contribute to meaningful projects, learn from industry leaders, and take part in tech talks and development opportunities. Internships align with Autodesk’s Flexible Workplace approach, supporting office, remote, and hybrid work based on business and team needs.

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 is one part of Autodesk’s competitive compensation package. Offers are based on the candidate’s experience, educational level, and geographic location, and can exceed this range.

For U.S.-based roles, we expect a starting annualized intern base salary to be between:

• $47,840 and $95,680 (undergraduate students)
• $72,800 and $118,500 (Masters/MBA students)
• $118,560 and $162,240 (PhD students)

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Autodesk, we're building a diverse workplace and an inclusive culture to give more people the chance to imagine, design, and make a better world. Autodesk is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic. We also consider for employment all qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

Belonging
We take pride in cultivating a culture of belonging where everyone can thrive. Learn more here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/global-belonging

In-Person Onboarding and Identity Verification

This role may require in-person onboarding and/or in-person ID verification.