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Researcher in Language Agents (Agentic AI) for Intelligent Information Systems - Job Opportunity at ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Winterthur, Switzerland
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: May 24, 2025
On-site
CHF 85,000 - 110,000 annually. Swiss academic institutions typically offer competitive salaries, and this role combines advanced AI research with practical application development. The 80-100% position flexibility and PhD opportunity add significant value beyond base compensation.

Benefits

Comprehensive work-life balance programs providing flexibility crucial for research productivity and personal development
University-level employment conditions offering academic freedom and intellectual growth opportunities beyond traditional corporate environments
Active professional development support enabling continuous learning and career advancement in rapidly evolving AI fields
Diversity and inclusion initiatives creating collaborative environments essential for innovative research outcomes
Comprehensive health management programs supporting long-term career sustainability in demanding research roles
Competitive salary and pension benefits providing financial security typical of Swiss academic institutions
Sustainability focus aligning personal values with institutional mission for meaningful career engagement

Key Responsibilities

Lead cutting-edge research in natural language processing and machine learning for multi-modal data systems, positioning the institution at the forefront of AI innovation and contributing to breakthrough publications that shape industry standards
Build strategic partnerships with academic institutions and industry leaders, creating collaborative networks that amplify research impact and establish the candidate as a key connector in the AI research ecosystem
Develop and scale advanced research prototypes for natural language interfaces across relational data, texts, and images, creating solutions that bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical applications with commercial potential
Establish a distinguished research portfolio through high-impact publications and data engineering achievements, building reputation as a thought leader in agentic AI systems and intelligent information processing

Requirements

Education

Master's degree in computer science or other relevant fields

Experience

Prior exposure to natural language processing, machine learning and database systems

Required Skills

natural language processing machine learning database systems programming English communication skills German language (beneficial) scientific evaluation prototype development data experimentation
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The convergence of large language models with agentic AI systems represents one of the most significant technological shifts in artificial intelligence, with applications spanning from autonomous research assistants to intelligent data analysis platforms. This trend is driving massive investment from tech giants and creating new market categories worth billions of dollars. Multi-modal AI systems that can seamlessly process text, images, and structured data are becoming the next frontier in enterprise AI adoption, with companies increasingly seeking solutions that can understand and manipulate diverse data types through natural language interfaces. The integration of AI agents with traditional database systems is revolutionizing data engineering, creating demand for professionals who can bridge the gap between classical data management and modern AI capabilities, particularly in enterprise environments where structured and unstructured data coexist.

Role Significance

Likely working within a 5-8 person research group with opportunities to lead 2-3 junior researchers or PhD students, while collaborating across multiple institutes within the 3,400+ faculty and staff ecosystem at ZHAW.
This represents a strategic research position with significant autonomy and impact potential. The role combines individual contributor research excellence with collaborative leadership across academic and industry partnerships, positioning the candidate as a key driver of institutional AI research direction.

Key Projects

Development of next-generation natural language query systems for enterprise databases that can understand complex multi-table relationships and generate insights through conversational interfaces Creation of multi-modal AI platforms that enable researchers and analysts to explore datasets containing text, images, and structured data through unified natural language commands Building intelligent document processing systems that can extract, structure, and analyze information from diverse sources while maintaining semantic understanding and contextual relationships

Success Factors

Deep technical expertise across the intersection of NLP, ML, and database systems, as the role requires rare interdisciplinary knowledge that few professionals possess at an advanced level Strong publication track record and ability to translate research into practical prototypes, demonstrating both theoretical rigor and practical application skills valued in academic-industry partnerships Collaborative leadership skills essential for managing partnerships between academic institutions and industry, requiring the ability to navigate different organizational cultures and objectives while maintaining research integrity Adaptability to rapidly evolving AI landscape, as agentic AI and language models are advancing at unprecedented pace, requiring continuous learning and strategic pivoting of research directions

Market Demand

Extremely high demand driven by the explosive growth in enterprise AI adoption and the critical shortage of professionals who can work across NLP, ML, and database systems in an integrated manner.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Natural language processing expertise is absolutely essential as the core of agentic AI systems relies on sophisticated language understanding and generation capabilities that form the foundation of human-AI interaction Machine learning proficiency across multiple paradigms is crucial because modern AI agents require integration of supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and emerging techniques like in-context learning and few-shot adaptation Database systems knowledge is uniquely valuable as it enables the development of AI systems that can effectively interact with enterprise data infrastructure, a capability that bridges traditional data management with modern AI applications

Beneficial Skills

Multi-modal AI understanding enhances the ability to work with diverse data types and creates opportunities to contribute to next-generation AI systems that can seamlessly process text, images, and structured data Research methodology and scientific evaluation skills are essential for academic success and enable the translation of experimental results into peer-reviewed publications that establish professional reputation Cross-cultural communication abilities support collaboration in Switzerland's international research environment and enhance opportunities for global academic and industry partnerships

Unique Aspects

Joint PhD opportunity with University of Zurich provides exceptional academic credentialing and research access that significantly enhances career prospects in both academic and industry settings
Focus on agentic AI represents positioning at the absolute cutting edge of artificial intelligence research, with potential to contribute to foundational developments in how AI systems interact with complex information environments
Multi-modal data exploration research addresses one of the most challenging and commercially valuable problems in modern AI, combining natural language processing with image analysis and database querying in ways that could revolutionize enterprise data interaction
Institute's emphasis on both academic excellence and industry collaboration creates unique opportunities to influence both theoretical advancement and practical application of AI technologies

Career Growth

3-5 years to senior research positions, 5-8 years to leadership roles, with the joint PhD opportunity potentially accelerating academic career progression and opening additional paths in university research leadership.

Potential Next Roles

Senior Research Scientist or Principal Investigator leading multi-million dollar research initiatives in AI and data systems Chief Technology Officer or Head of AI Research at technology companies focused on enterprise data platforms or AI-driven analytics Professor or Associate Professor positions at leading universities with established research programs in AI and intelligent systems Founding technical roles at AI startups developing next-generation data platforms or agentic AI systems for enterprise markets

Company Overview

ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

ZHAW represents one of Switzerland's premier applied sciences universities, distinguished by its 14,000+ student body and substantial faculty of 3,400+ professionals. The institution's focus on applied research creates a unique environment where theoretical advancement meets practical implementation, particularly valuable in rapidly evolving fields like AI.

As one of Switzerland's largest universities of applied sciences, ZHAW holds significant influence in European research networks and maintains strong connections with Swiss and international technology companies, providing researchers with access to both academic excellence and industry collaboration opportunities.
Winterthur's position within the greater Zurich metropolitan area provides access to one of Europe's most dynamic technology ecosystems, with proximity to major tech companies, fintech institutions, and a thriving startup community that creates numerous collaboration and career advancement opportunities.
The university environment combines academic freedom with practical application focus, creating a culture that values both theoretical rigor and real-world impact. The emphasis on diversity and work-life balance reflects modern Swiss academic values and supports long-term career sustainability.
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