The Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich invites applications from experienced scientists (Post-Doc level, Established Researcher, or above) specializing in
Artificial Intelligence for Design to build and lead a research group as part of the newly formed Manufacturing4X Center. The initial appointment will be made at either the Post-Doctoral or Established Researcher level (non-permanent), with a pathway and intent to eventually promote the candidate to a Senior Scientist (permanent) position.
Project backgroundSuccessful candidates are expected to run a world-class research and teaching program that emphasizes industrial translation of Artificial Intelligence methods within a Design and Manufacturing context. This position is envisaged to be part of ETH's Center for Manufacturing (Manufacturing4X) founded in Fall 2025. The selected candidate will support the development and execution of educational and mentoring activities, as well as the supervision of doctoral students in the area of Artificial Intelligence and Design. He/she will further support the acquisition and coordination of industry-focused projects, involving many ETH students and researchers, and become a bridge not only between ETH and Industry, but across different groups and collaborative partners within ETH.
Job descriptionThis is a research and leadership position in the new manufacturing center, and as such your responsibilities may include:
- Crafting a strategic research vision for the future of Artificial Intelligence within Design in the context of a Manufacturing Center focused on translating fundamental research into industry impact.
- Building and managing a group of researchers (e.g., Ph.D. students) to achieve this research vision, in collaboration with participating faculty members, labs, and industrial partners, as well as building your (and the center's) international research profile, e.g., through publications and dissemination.
- Working actively with Industry partners to address translation research challenges in the AI and Design space. This includes formulating projects and applying for funding to execute those projects via national or international funding bodies in both basic and applied research.
- Working independently or with other scientific staff to deploy simulation or algorithm pipelines on advanced computational infrastructure, such as High-Performance Computing systems.
- Participating/organizing activities and outreach within the ETH Manufacturing4X Center.
- Supervising Ph.D., Masters, and/or Bachelors student projects as relevant to your research group.
- Coordinating teaching efforts for relevant coursework to you group either internally at ETHZ or externally (e.g., short workshops or courses for industry).
ProfileThe following are some characteristics that align well with the position:
- You are expected to have a Ph.D. degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or related fields with an excellent track record in competitive publication venues appropriate to your research field.
- You should have experience managing research teams, including setting a research vision, managing multiple projects and researchers, and enabling growth in junior researchers (e.g., Ph.D. students).
- You should possess strong English language skills and the ability to work successfully and collaboratively on diverse, multinational teams.
- Demonstrated ability to partner with Industry in a research context (e.g., on joint research projects, securing industry-relevant grant funding, etc.)
- You have an interest in teaching, particularly in project-based courses with hands-on learning experiences or with computational elements relevant to Artificial Intelligence or Optimization, in addition to running your research group.
- Since this is a leadership position, your skills should align with ETH Zurich's six core competencies that we expect from all employees.
Preferred candidates will possess some of the following characteristics (although these are not strictly required):
- Proficiency in German, Swiss-German, and/or French.
- Knowledge of and demonstrated capabilities in professional project and software development practices demonstrated in a team-based, research setting.
- Experience with the Swiss- or EU-based funding programs.
We encourage candidates to apply even if they do not think they possess every point above, particularly for candidates who may not have had access to certain development opportunities. We will work with any selected candidates to develop targeted competencies on a personalized basis.
Your profile should complement research and teaching within the Institute of Design, Materials and Fabrication. This position would initially be jointly coordinated and funded by the Chair of Engineering Design & Computing (Prof. Kristina Shea) and the Chair of Artificial Intelligence in Engineering Design (Prof. Mark Fuge), so alignment/collaboration with the research and teaching efforts within or between those two groups is preferred.
We offerThe initial appointment will be made at either the Post-Doctoral or Established Researcher/Scientific Collaborator level depending on the work experience and seniority of the candidate, and starts as a non-permanent position with a renewable yearly contract based on performance. The intent of this position is eventually to lead to a long-term career within the center, with promotion to a (permanent) Senior Scientist role, subject to the tenure and promotion rules of ETH. The anticipated start date for the position is flexible, ideally in Q4 of 2025 or Q1 of 2026, with the exact start date to be mutually agreed upon to match your employment or family needs. The position is designed as a full-time (100%) appointment, however, we can offer flexibility in both time and location (home office possibility from your residence in Switzerland) as needed to best enable an individual's needs and well-being. ETH Zurich is a family-friendly employer with excellent working conditions. In addition to this, you can look forward to:
- World-class research infrastructure and excellent working conditions guided by our common understanding of a supportive shared work culture .
- A high level of autonomy to develop your skills as an independent researcher.
- Opportunities to work with a diverse, motivated, and multi-cultural team in a creative research environment.
- Support for personalized professional development and mentoring with the ability to build a strong support network for your future career, and be part of a laboratory with a strong track record of placing post-doctoral employees into competitive research positions and professorships.
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