Join ETH Zurich's Swiss GeoLab as Head of Geospatial AI
ETH Zurich is proud to announce the establishment of the ETH Swiss GeoLab, a pioneering interdisciplinary unit within ETH Zürich I Space. As part of our strategic vision, ETH Space will soon emerge as one of the key centers at ETH Zurich, comprising five dynamic units.
The Swiss GeoLab is dedicated to advancing Earth observation and exploring its myriad applications. Utilizing satellite, airborne, ground-based, and in-situ observations, the GeoLab employs AI-driven analysis methods and high-performance computing to address specific societal and economic challenges.
Located at the D4 Business Village in Root, near Lucerne, ETH Swiss GeoLab serves as a nexus of research, technology development, and practical application. In its initial phase, the GeoLab will concentrate on selected high-impact application areas where Earth observation, geodata, and AI-based analytics can deliver meaningful value for Switzerland, particularly in areas such as natural hazards, agriculture, and forestry.
The ETH Swiss GeoLab is under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Verena Griess and Prof. Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, with Dr. Felix Seidel serving as the Managing Director, overseeing the daily operations of this intriguing initiative. Over the coming years, the GeoLab is projected to grow into a project-based hub encompassing around 100 experts and will collaborate closely with various ETH units, the Swiss National Centre for Supercomputing (CSCS), local research institutions, public sector stakeholders, agricultural organizations, industry partners, start-ups, and international entities.
Position Overview
We are seeking a qualified Head of Geospatial AI to lead the Geo-Intelligence Team and drive the development and implementation of ETH Swiss GeoLab’s geospatial AI, data, and shared platform capabilities. Collaborating with domain experts from academia and the tech industry, you will help shape the technical strategy and architecture for multimodal foundation models, agentic AI systems, geospatial tools, data pipelines, and compute infrastructure.
In this role, you will:
- Define and implement ETH Swiss GeoLab’s geospatial AI and technical strategy on behalf of the leadership team.
- Establish the target architecture for multimodal foundation models, agentic systems, geospatial data pipelines, compute environments, and the shared Geo-Intelligence Platform.
- Adopt or set technical standards, priorities, interfaces, and development principles aligned with the GeoLab strategy and mission requirements.
- Drive the design, development, evaluation, and operationalization of multimodal geospatial foundation models and related capabilities.
- Facilitate prototyping, benchmarking, validation, and integration activities.
- Ensure that technical work yields reliable, reusable, and operationally significant capabilities.
- Adapt the technical roadmap and oversee the delivery of the shared Geo-Intelligence Platform, including data access, processing pipelines, model-training environments, deployment capabilities, and integration with HPC and cloud infrastructure.
- Coordinate with CSCS, ETH units, innovation leaders, and technology providers to ensure scalability, security, efficiency, and maintainability.
- Translate mission requirements into technical capabilities and delivery plans while working with mission leads in Natural Hazards, Agriculture, and Forestry.
- Assess feasibility, define technical milestones, allocate technical resources, and navigate trade-offs between mission-specific development and reusable platform components.
- Lead or support technical collaborations with ETH groups, research institutions, CSCS, hyperscalers, companies, start-ups, and open-source communities.
Ideal candidates will possess:
- A Master’s or PhD degree in computer science, machine learning, geo-informatics, engineering, remote sensing, or a related field.
- Several years of experience leading technical AI/ML, geospatial data, or large-scale software development that includes user community interactions.
- Proven ability to define technical architectures and manage interdisciplinary teams and technical resources effectively.
- Expertise in machine learning, multimodal foundation models, and experience with agentic AI architectures.
- An in-depth understanding of geospatial AI, Earth observation, and remote sensing practices.
- Experience with high-performance computing (HPC), cloud infrastructure, or distributed computing environments.
- A track record of building reliable, reusable, and operational technical capabilities in an agile manner.
- Strong written and spoken English; proficiency in German or French is advantageous.
Your unique technical judgment and ability to navigate uncertainty will drive the strategic direction of our projects. You are passionate about technology and committed to leveraging it for groundbreaking research and real-world impact. As a fast learner and adept listener, you are ready to lead a team of highly skilled professionals, making critical architectural decisions and delivering scalable technical solutions.
What We Offer
- An exciting opportunity to contribute to the early development of ETH Swiss GeoLab and shape a new national competence center for Earth observation.
- A senior technical leadership role with significant visibility and strategic importance.
- Opportunities to develop geospatial AI capabilities that address societal, environmental, and economic challenges.
- A vibrant workplace in Root/Lucerne, integrated within an active innovation ecosystem and closely connected to ETH Zurich.
Apply online using the form below. Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
For more information about ETH Swiss GeoLab, please visit our website. Questions regarding the position can be directed to Dr. Felix Seidel, Managing Director of ETH Swiss GeoLab, at felix.seidel@eaps.ethz.ch.
We look forward to your application!