Applied Research Software Engineer / Applied Research Software Engineeress

Join Us at the ETH AI Center!

The GenAI-R&D for Future-Proof Teaching group at the ETH AI Center in Zürich-Oerlikon is pioneering fully open-source systems that transform the learning experience for students and enhance teaching methodologies for instructors.

Having already supported 2,000 students per semester with the first-generation Ethel ecosystem, we are now expanding our reach with EthelFlow (agent-based core) and EthelApp (front-end for desktop and mobile) to engage 20,000 students across a wide range of STEM courses. Our platform integrates large language and vision models with symbolic math and statistical tools and human-in-the-loop workflows to deliver:

• Course-specific chatbots
• Automatic practice problem generation
• Feedback on handwritten or code exercises
• Support in grading handwritten exams

As a member of our team, you will collaborate closely with faculty, staff, and master’s students at ETH to turn innovative research concepts into production-quality code. We emphasize agile processes that prioritize short-term goals, rapid iterations, and direct communication with instructors and stakeholders. Enjoy pair-coding sessions with fellow students in an environment free from cumbersome Scrum rituals. Instead, we prioritize user impact and code quality with a pragmatic approach.

Your Responsibilities

• Engage in hands-on product development, releasing new features using React and TypeScript for both desktop and mobile applications.
• Extend Python-based agent pipelines (e.g., LangGraph) and integrate diverse large language models (LLMs) and multimodal vision models.
• Develop and maintain tailored data flows for interpreting handwritten mathematics, diagrams, and code, while managing systems to provide timely feedback and rubric-based assessments.
• Design clean, modular APIs in your open-source engineering role, publishing all contributions under permissive licenses.
• Review pull requests, improve documentation, and cultivate a vibrant contributor community.
• Oversee Linux servers operating within Docker Swarm, automating builds and deployments through GitHub Actions while reinforcing monitoring and logging systems for reproducibility.
• Involve yourself in R&D prototyping by evaluating emerging models and tools to create proofs of concept and transition promising ideas into production-ready solutions.
• Mentor master’s students through pair-programming, sharing best practices, and collaborating with instructors to iteratively improve projects.

Required Skills & Experience

• Proficient in modern React (Hooks, responsive design) and strong TypeScript skills.
• Solid Python proficiency and familiarity with Node.js for service and agent logic implementations.
• Comfortable working in a Linux environment and knowledgeable in Docker Swarm (compose-to-swarm workflows, secrets, volumes, overlay networking).
• Experience with LaTeX for math-heavy content.
• Familiarity connecting LLMs and multimodal models (prompting, RAG, structured outputs).
• Experience with Git and GitHub Actions (or similar toolsets) and a test-as-you-go mindset.
• Able to work onsite at ETH Zurich (primarily in Oerlikon) at least three days a week, with the flexibility to work remotely on other days.
• Master’s degree in computer science, applied information, data science, or a related STEM field with relevant experience.
• Excellent spoken and written English skills.
• A genuine curiosity and eagerness to learn.

Nice to Have

• Conversational German for campus interactions.
• Kubernetes or other container orchestration experience.
• Experience with R and Maxima.
• Familiarity with interactive homework or learning-content management systems.
• A background in handwriting recognition, exam workflows, or computer vision.
• Notable open-source contributions, particularly in ed-tech.
• An understanding of Swiss or European university teaching contexts.

Why Join Us?

• Impact: Help shape how thousands of ETH students learn and how faculty teach.
• Publication Opportunities: Contribute to open-access papers in leading journals.
• Cutting-edge Stack: Work with the latest open-source and commercial models (Azure AI), GPUs, and academic collaborations.
• Learning Budget: Conference travel and paid time for professional exploration.
• Flexible Schedule: Core collaboration days onsite with remote-friendly arrangements on other days.
• Workspace: A modern office environment at the ETH AI Center, just minutes from Zürich-Oerlikon station.

Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For further information about the ETH AI Center, please visit our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Gerd Kortemeyer at Show e-mail (please do not send applications here).

We want to emphasize that pre-selection is conducted by responsible recruiters, not by artificial intelligence.

For recruitment services, the GTC of ETH Zurich apply.