100%, Zurich, permanent

inspire AG is Switzerland’s leading competence center for product innovation and advanced manufacturing. As a strategic partner of ETH Zurich, our mission is to transfer knowledge and technology from academic research into the Swiss mechanical, electrical, and metal industries.

The Machine Concepts research group at inspire AG is offering a position in the field of Industrial AI & LLM Systems

We are looking for a Senior Research Engineer to build next-generation AI systems that bring large language models into real-world manufacturing environments. In this role, you will design and implement AI architectures that combine industrial data, domain knowledge, and modern language models. You will collaborate with leading Swiss industrial partners and focus on building robust prototypes that can operate in real production environments.

• Design and implement AI-based decision-support systems for manufacturing applications
• Develop LLM-based architectures (e.g. Retrieval-Augmented Generation, tool-augmented agents, modular AI pipelines)
• Integrate heterogeneous industrial data sources such as sensor data, laboratory measurements, engineering documentation, and expert knowledge
• Design scalable system architectures for AI deployment in industrial environments
• Translate research concepts into practical AI solutions for production environments
• Build and evaluate prototypes together with industrial partners

Required experience

• CH/EU/EFTA citizenship or valid Swiss work permit
• PhD in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field
• Strong programming skills in Python
• Experience with machine learning systems or LLM-based architectures
• Experience working with complex data systems or developing applied AI prototypes
• Familiarity with modern AI tools (e.g. LangChain, vector databases, RAG architectures) is a plus

Required people skills

• Self-motivated, structured, and curious about emerging AI technologies
• Strong analytical mindset with hands-on problem-solving abilities
• Comfortable working in interdisciplinary, industry-oriented teams
• Fluency in German and English is required

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of applied research and innovation. You will contribute directly to the development of smart manufacturing technologies and work closely with Swiss industry to create a measurable impact. The position combines academic insight with industrial relevance, providing an ideal foundation for professional growth in applied research and development.