Data Science Expert / Data Science Expertess

Join Our Team at ETH Zurich

To support teaching, research, and knowledge transfer, the IT Services (ITS) of ETH Zurich operate within a large and complex IT environment. The Scientific IT Services team, particularly the Computational & Data Science Support (CDSS) group, focuses on bridging the gap between computational research and IT services. We work closely with ETH researchers to deliver support across various areas of scientific computing, including data management, analysis, scientific software development, and optimization for high-performance and cloud computing infrastructures.

Data Science Expert Opportunity

We are seeking a Data Science Expert with a solid background in GenAI technologies to join ETH's Scientific IT Services. The primary focus will be on ETH's recent initiative to build a scalable and extensible "AI platform" that provides services and functionalities for teaching, research, and administration. This role also involves working on other machine learning (ML) and scientific computing projects, thereby supporting diverse research and computational needs across the institution.

Key Responsibilities

• Focus on ETH's AI platform project, gathering requirements, conducting feasibility studies, and performing technical assessments for GenAI solutions across teaching, research, and administration.
• Develop prototypes of GenAI workflows tailored to client needs, including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) bots and AI Agents.
• Document and assist in integrating prototypes and new functionalities into ETH's AI platform.
• Investigate emerging tools and technologies relevant to the platform's evolution.
• Contribute to diverse machine learning projects, developing and implementing scientific computing solutions to support various initiatives.
• Prepare and present teaching materials on GenAI best practices and broader ML topics.
• Effectively communicate and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, ranging from technical experts to non-technical users.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in data/computational sciences or a related field.
• Strong understanding of the mathematical and numerical foundations of machine learning, statistical analysis, and modeling.
• Proficiency in Python and its ML tech stack/libraries, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn.
• Experience with GenAI frameworks and orchestration tools, such as LangChain, LangGraph, LlamaIndex, or similar libraries for building LLM applications.
• Hands-on experience with various model architectures, including transformers and classical ML approaches.
• Experience in building chatbots, conversational agents, or RAG systems, along with related technologies such as embeddings or vector databases (e.g., Milvus, Chroma, pgvector).
• Familiarity with software engineering best practices, including automated testing, version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines, and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker).
• Able to adapt methodologies to tackle varied scientific computing challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of prompt engineering and optimization strategies.
• Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., Azure) and their ML services.
• Previous work experience in developing/applying GenAI technologies in teaching and learning contexts.
• Awareness of responsible AI and AI ethics, including mitigation, hallucination detection, safety filters, and interpretability.

This position requires a keen interest in collaborating with experts from various fields, translating their needs into viable solutions. Strong communication skills in English (German is a plus), solid project management abilities, and a service-oriented approach are essential to foster successful collaborations.

Location and Work Environment

The position is based in Zurich, with occasional travel required to other Swiss cities.

Impactful Career Opportunity

By joining ETH Zurich, you will support not only your professional development but also contribute to positive societal change. This role presents a unique opportunity to be part of an exciting initiative aimed at building a state-of-the-art AI platform to deliver impactful GenAI services to the diverse academic community at ETH Zurich.

Scientific IT Services foster a stimulating work environment dedicated to knowledge sharing and exchange, with opportunities for professional growth in scientific IT. We are committed to flexible, family-friendly work models and a healthy work-life balance. ETH Zurich promotes a policy of diversity and inclusion, and we particularly encourage female candidates to apply.

Benefits

As an employee, you can expect numerous benefits, including:

• Public transport season tickets and car sharing.
• A wide range of sports offered by ASVZ.
• Childcare and attractive pension benefits.

This contract is for a duration of one (1) year, with the possibility of renewal subject to budgetary considerations.

Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

Further Information

For more information about Scientific IT Services, please visit our website. For inquiries regarding the position, contact Dr. Tarun Chadha at tarun@ethz.ch or Dr. Thomas Wüst at twuest@ethz.ch (no applications).

Please note that pre-selection is conducted by our responsible recruitment team and not by artificial intelligence.