Internship or Master’s Thesis

Next-Generation Query and Workflow Processing across Heterogeneous Engines and Hardware

Ref. 2026_009

About the role

Modern data platforms increasingly execute complex analytical and AI-driven workloads across heterogeneous engines and hardware. Queries and workflows may span SQL engines, vector databases, streaming systems, ML pipelines, and specialized accelerators. Efficiently routing and distributing these workloads across engines and resources has become a central systems challenge.

At IBM Research Europe - Zurich, we explore next-generation data platforms that intelligently orchestrate heterogeneous engines and hardware to deliver optimal performance, scalability, and cost efficiency.

We are looking for Master’s students or interns interested to work on challenging problems at the intersection of:

• multimodal data processing
• cross-engine query/workflow routing and distribution
• hardware-aware query/workflow optimization

Your work will focus on designing analytical/ML models and system-level optimization techniques that enable data platforms to make better decisions about where and how such workloads should execute.





Example Research Directions

Possible topics include:

• Multimodal query and workflow routing
  • Represent and optimize workflows that span multiple data modalities (structured, vector, graph, document, etc.); route them across heterogeneous engines (SQL, ML inference, vector search, streaming systems)
• Hardware-aware query optimization
  • Incorporate knowledge of hardware resources (CPUs, GPUs, accelerators, memory hierarchies) into routing and query planning, by building cost models that account for heterogeneous compute and memory, data movement, and engine capabilities
• Analytical and cost-based optimization
  • Develop analytical performance models to guide routing and distribution decisions in ms or less, by exploring optimization techniques that minimize end-to-end latency, resource usage, or cost

What We Are Looking For

We seek motivated students interested in systems research for large-scale data platforms.

You enjoy working on problems that combine database systems, distributed systems, and performance modeling (either analytical or ML-based), and you are comfortable reasoning about trade-offs across the entire stack--from query plans to hardware resources.





Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Engineering, Systems, or a related field
• Strong programming skills
• Solid foundations in database systems, distributed systems, or systems optimization
• Experience with Python or similar programming languages
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Fluent English communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with query processing or database internals
• Familiarity with query optimization and cost models
• Knowledge of modern data formats and interfaces (e.g., Parquet, Arrow, Iceberg, Substrait)
• Experience working with large-scale data systems or distributed processing frameworks
• Interest in system-level optimization for heterogeneous compute environments

Diversity & Work Environment

IBM is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. You will join an open, multicultural research environment that values different perspectives and supports flexible working arrangements. Our goal is to help all genders and backgrounds thrive professionally while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

How to Apply

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