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

After supporting 2,000 students per semester with the first-generation Ethel ecosystem, we are now scaling EthelFlow (agent-based core) and EthelApp (front-end for desktop & mobile) to 20,000 students across a broad spectrum of STEM courses. The platform blends large language and vision models with symbolic math and statistical tools and agent-based human-in-the-loop workflow management to drive:

• course-specific chatbots,
• automatic practice-problem generation,
• feedback on handwritten or code exercises, and
• assistance in grading handwritten exams.

You will work side by side with faculty, staff, and master’s students across ETH and turn applied research ideas into production-quality code. Processes are lightweight and agile: short goals, rapid iterations, direct contact with instructors and other stakeholders, and plenty of pair-coding with students. No heavyweight Scrum rituals - just a relentless focus on user impact and code quality, combined with a pragmatic and can-do attitude.

Your responsibilities will include hands-on product development, where you'll ship new features in a React and TypeScript front-end designed for both desktop and mobile users. You will also extend Python-based agent pipelines (e.g., LangGraph) and integrate diverse large language models (LLMs) and multimodal vision models. Additionally, you'll build and maintain data flows specifically tailored for recognizing handwritten mathematics, diagrams, and code, and manage systems that provide timely feedback or rubric-based scoring.

In your role focusing on open-source engineering, you'll design clean, modular APIs and publish all contributions under permissive licenses. You will actively review pull requests, enhance documentation, and help grow a vibrant, engaged contributor community.

Regarding infrastructure and operations, you'll take ownership of Linux servers operating within Docker Swarm, automating builds and deployments through GitHub Actions. You'll also reinforce the robustness of monitoring and logging systems to ensure reproducibility, with Kubernetes experience being a beneficial 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.

Finally, you'll engage in collaboration and mentoring by pair-programming with master’s students, sharing best practices, and working closely with course instructors to iteratively refine projects.

Required skills & experience

• Modern React (Hooks, responsive design) and strong TypeScript.
• Solid Python skills and familiarity with Node.js for implementing services and agent logic.
• Confident on Linux and fluent with Docker Swarm (compose-to-swarm workflows, secrets, volumes, overlay networking).
• Comfortable with LaTeX for maths-heavy content.
• Experience connecting LLMs and multimodal models (prompting, RAG, structured output).
• 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 to work remotely the remaining days.
• Master’s degree in computer science, applied information, data science, or another 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.

• 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 – Conference travel and paid time for exploration.
• Flexible schedule – Core collaboration days on site; remote-friendly otherwise.
• Workspace – Modern office in the ETH AI Center, a few minutes from Zürich-Oerlikon station.

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish.

We look forward to receiving your online application with 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

Please note that we exclusively accept applications submitted through our online application portal. Applications via email or postal services will not be considered.

Further information about the ETH AI Center can be found on our website . Questions regarding the position should be directed to Dr. Gerd Kortemeyer, (no applications).

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

For recruitment services the GTC of ETH Zurich  apply.

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.