Digital Catalyst / Digital Catalyzer

Join Our Digital Makerspace Team at ETH Student Project House

At the ETH Student Project House (SPH), we inspire and empower students to cultivate a maker-innovator mindset. By exploring their own ideas and developing personal projects, students gain invaluable hands-on experience and learn essential skills for their future. That’s why we’ve created an ecosystem where Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral students are encouraged to ideate, build prototypes, and continuously test and refine their creations.

Our interdisciplinary team of 30 dedicated professionals supports students with the tools, knowledge, and guidance they need to pursue their passions. Our well-equipped Makerspace provides access to a diverse range of tools and equipment for prototyping. To help projects flourish beyond the idea stage, we also offer co-working, ideation, and event spaces, as well as personalized coaching.

We are excited to announce that we are building a Digital Makerspace to better support ETH students engaged in digital projects. This initiative aims to provide hardware, software, digital expertise, and a robust community of digital innovators, ensuring that many of our offerings are accessible entirely online.

Your Role

We’re looking for a passionate new team member to join and contribute to our Digital Makerspace team. You’ll find yourself in one of the most inspiring environments at ETH Zürich, working among 3D printers, computers, whiteboards, ideation tools, and custom-designed furniture.

We currently operate at two locations: a five-storey house near the ETH main building and one on the Hönggerberg campus. Our open workspace is shared with student project teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and creativity. Our community includes individuals from diverse backgrounds and disciplines, and we primarily communicate in English.

Projects You'll Work On

• Digital Makerspace Tools:
  • Participating in the design and delivery of services that empower ETH students with their digital projects (Examples: Webhosting, LLM Proxy)
  • Creating a hardware portfolio (e.g., AR/VR glasses, video equipment) and implementing a lending system for students
  • Developing a software tool portfolio for student access
• Digital Makerspace Workshops:
  • Developing engaging workshop formats around digital topics
  • Conducting workshops (Example: Make your first web app)
• Digital Makerspace Community:
  • Engaging with students during help sessions
  • Potentially establishing a community of digital makerspace instructors to assist with workshops or offer peer-to-peer support sessions
• Digital Makerspace Development:
  • Expanding and diversifying the existing offerings of the Digital Makerspace
  • Contributing your ambitious ideas to support ETH students with their digital projects

Your Qualifications

We need your digital expertise to support our students and the team. Ideal candidates will possess the following:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, or demonstrable equivalent knowledge and experience
• A passion for bringing projects to life
• Experience with digital tools (e.g., Docker, networking, Unix, Windows)
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., Python, JavaScript, PHP)
• A motivation to learn new languages, tools, and technologies
• A driven and energetic personality
• A genuine enjoyment of working with people and supporting them

A note: Research indicates that women and individuals from marginalized groups may only apply if they meet all criteria. If you believe you are qualified but do not meet every specific requirement, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits

Joining ETH Zurich means becoming part of an institution that not only supports your professional development but also actively contributes to positive societal change. You can expect numerous benefits, including:

• Public transport season tickets and car-sharing options
• A wide array of sports offered by ASVZ
• Childcare services and attractive pension benefits

This position offers a 1-year contract with the opportunity for extension, supported by funding for a minimum of 3 years. We value personal growth, conducting regular team feedback sessions, and recognize everyone's contributions to finding the best solutions collaboratively.

How to Apply

We’d love to get to know you better! Please record a maximum two-minute video clip introducing yourself and showcasing the coolest digital project you have realized. We are simply looking for authenticity, so use your smartphone and don’t worry about production quality.

Upload the video to a platform of your choice (such as Dropbox, YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive) and include the URL link in your cover letter. Apply online using the form below.

Only applications that match the job profile will be considered. For further questions regarding the position, please contact Isabella Ilchmann at isabella.ilchmann@sph.ethz.ch.

We look forward to receiving your online application with the following documents:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Link to your video clip

Applications will be accepted until January 14, 2026, and may be extended at our discretion based on application volume and suitability.

For more information about the ETH Student Project House and our facilities, visit our website or follow us on Instagram.