Postdoctoral Researcher in AI, Adaptive Control, and Digital Twins for Advanced Manufacturing Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland

The ZHAW Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences is seeking a motivated postdoctoral researcher to join its Industrial AI group. This position focuses on combining artificial intelligence, adaptive control, and digital twins to optimize advanced manufacturing systems. The research aims to address challenges such as variability, non-stationarity, and the need for interpretable automation in manufacturing environments. The successful candidate will develop frameworks for real-time adaptation, integrating probabilistic models and large language models (LLMs) to translate text-based commands, infer logical rules, and incorporate expert feedback. The work will be demonstrated on robotic systems in the lab and in collaboration with Swiss industry partners.

The project is part of the NCCR Automation consortium and offers excellent opportunities for collaboration with both academic and industrial partners, including ETH Zurich and inspire AG. The postdoctoral researcher will support and supervise PhD, bachelor, and master students, contribute to teaching, publish in scientific journals, and participate in conferences. The position is temporary (one to two years) and provides opportunities for developing project management, leadership, and proposal writing skills.

Applicants should hold a doctoral degree in electrical, mechanical, or industrial engineering, robotics, computer science, or related fields, with a focus on control systems, optimization, or natural language processing. Experience in adaptive control, reinforcement learning, or LLM applications is highly beneficial. Strong programming skills in Python, modeling, and data analysis are required. Fluency in English is essential, and knowledge of German is advantageous. Candidates should be autonomous, collaborative, and interested in managing large-scale projects.

The ZHAW offers competitive employment conditions, including salary, pension provision, work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, personal development, and occupational health management. The Centre for AI is a Center of Excellence with a growing number of research groups in various domains, specializing in the improvement and automation of complex manufacturing systems.

To apply, submit a tailored cover letter, transcripts of grades, and two reference contacts via the ZHAW online job portal. The application deadline is February 20, 2026. For further information, contact Prof. Dr. Alisa Rupenyan-Vasileva ([email protected]) or Jocelyn Schaad ([email protected]).