Applied Research Software Engineer / Applied Research Software Engineeress

ETH Zurich - July 3, 2025

Applied Research Software Engineer - GenAI R&D for Future-Proof Teaching

80%-100%, Zurich, permanent

The GenAI-R&D for Future-Proof Teaching group at the ETH AI Center (Zürich-Oerlikon) is dedicated to building fully open-source systems that fundamentally change how students learn and instructors teach.

Project Background

After successfully supporting 2,000 students per semester with the first-generation Ethel ecosystem, we are now scaling EthelFlow (an agent-based core) and EthelApp (a front-end for desktop & mobile) to reach 20,000 students across a wide range of STEM courses. This innovative platform integrates large language and vision models with symbolic math and statistical tools, employing agent-based human-in-the-loop workflow management to provide:

  • Course-specific chatbots,
  • Automatic practice-problem generation,
  • Feedback on handwritten or code exercises, and
  • Assistance in grading handwritten exams.

You will collaborate closely with faculty, staff, and master's students at ETH, transforming applied research ideas into production-quality code. Our processes are lightweight and agile, focusing on short-term goals, rapid iterations, direct contact with instructors, and extensive pair-coding with students—avoiding cumbersome Scrum rituals and instead emphasizing user impact and code quality.

Job Description

Your responsibilities will involve hands-on product development, shipping new features using a React and TypeScript front-end optimized for both desktop and mobile users. Additionally, you will extend Python-based agent pipelines (e.g., LangGraph) and integrate various large language models (LLMs) and multimodal vision models. You will also build and maintain data flows specifically for recognizing handwritten mathematics, diagrams, and code and manage systems for providing timely feedback or rubric-based scoring.

As a key contributor to open-source engineering, you will design clean, modular APIs and publish all contributions under permissive licenses. You will actively review pull requests, enhance documentation, and foster a vibrant, engaged contributor community.

Regarding infrastructure and operations, you will take ownership of Linux servers running within Docker Swarm, automate builds and deployments through GitHub Actions, and enhance monitoring and logging systems for reproducibility, with Kubernetes experience being an advantageous skill.

For R&D prototyping, you will evaluate emerging models and tools, quickly develop proofs of concept, and strategically transition promising ideas into production-ready solutions.

Lastly, collaboration and mentoring will be key, as you pair-program with master's students, share best practices, and work closely with course instructors to iteratively refine projects.

Profile

Required Skills & Experience

  • Modern React (Hooks, responsive design) and strong TypeScript expertise.
  • Solid Python skills and familiarity with Node.js for implementing services and agent logic.
  • Proficient in Linux, with fluency in Docker Swarm (compose-to-swarm workflows, secrets, volumes, overlay networking).
  • Comfortable with LaTeX for math-intensive content.
  • Experience connecting LLMs and multimodal models (prompting, RAG, structured output).
  • Familiarity with Git and GitHub Actions (or similar) and a test-as-you-go mindset.
  • Able to work on-site at ETH Zurich (primarily in Oerlikon) at least three days per week on average, with flexibility for remote work on the remaining days.
  • Master's degree in computer science, applied information, data science, or another relevant STEM degree with corresponding experience.
  • Excellent spoken and written English.
  • Curiosity.

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.
  • Background in handwriting recognition, exam workflows, or computer vision.
  • Notable open-source contributions, especially in ed-tech.
  • Understanding of Swiss or European university teaching contexts.

Workplace

Your workplace will be a modern office at the ETH AI Center, conveniently located just minutes from Zürich-Oerlikon station.

We Offer

  • Impact - Shape how thousands of ETH students learn and how faculty teach.
  • Publication opportunities - Contribute to open-access papers in leading journals.
  • Cutting-edge stack - Access to the latest open-source and commercial models (Azure AI), GPUs, and academic collaborations.
  • Learning budget - Funding for conference travel and paid time for exploration.
  • Flexible schedule - Core collaboration days on-site; remote-friendly otherwise.

We Value Diversity

In line with our values, ETH Zurich promotes an inclusive culture. We support equality of opportunity, value diversity, and cultivate a working and learning environment where the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to learn how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Curious? So Are We.

We look forward to receiving your online application using the form below. Please include the following documents:

  • Resume/CV
  • Degree certificates
  • A brief document (maximum one page) sharing your initial ideas, impressions, and constructive feedback about the early-stage codebase at EthelFlow and EthelApp.

Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

For further information about the ETH AI Center, please visit our website. For questions regarding the position, reach out to Dr. Gerd Kortemeyer at kgerd@ethz.ch (no applications).

About ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. Renowned for our excellent education and cutting-edge research, we excel in the direct transfer of newfound knowledge to society. Over 30,000 individuals from more than 120 countries call our university a place that fosters independent thinking and inspires excellence. Situated in the heart of Europe and forging connections globally, we collaborate to develop solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Location : Zürich
Country : Switzerland

Application Form

Please enter your information in the following form and attach your resume (CV)

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