Master’s Thesis / Internship in AI and Quantum Computing

IBM Research Zurich seeks Master’s students or interns to conduct thesis or internship work at the intersection of AI and quantum computing, developing hybrid algorithms and workflows.

The company invites candidates to join a collaborative research effort bridging artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. The role focuses on creating algorithms that utilize both fields on current and future hardware, with candidates working closely alongside dedicated AI and Quantum research teams.

Responsibilities

• Create AI-based methods for linear algebra tasks or complex system modeling, investigating quantum computing applications.
• Build and test hybrid quantum-classical processes on simulators and IBM Quantum infrastructure.
• Perform rigorous benchmarking against classical baselines, analyze scaling trends, and document findings for internal reports, academic theses, or publications.
• Deliver high-quality, reproducible code, including open-source contributions such as Qiskit extensions, notebooks, or datasets.

Requirements

• Current enrollment in a Master’s program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related discipline for thesis positions.
• A Master’s or PhD degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field for internship roles.
• Practical experience with quantum computing SDKs like Qiskit, including circuit design, optimization, and execution on simulators or real devices.
• Solid understanding of AI/ML fundamentals, including model training, optimization, metrics, and regularization techniques.
• Proficiency in Python and adherence to robust software engineering practices, including Linux usage, version control with git/GitHub, testing, and reproducibility.
• Knowledge of experiment orchestration, containerization, and continuous integration (CI).
• Ability to communicate clearly in English and work in a structured, collaborative manner.

Nice to have

• Strong background in algorithm development and linear algebra.
• Experience with experiment orchestration tools, job queues, trackers, containers, and CI pipelines.
• Prior experience in scientific writing and maintaining well-documented research code.

What the company offers

• Joint supervision from researchers across both the AI and Quantum teams.
• Access to IBM Quantum services for research and development.

About the company

IBM Research Zurich fosters a collaborative environment where experts from different disciplines work together. The culture emphasizes close cooperation between the AI and Quantum research teams to drive innovation at the intersection of these fields.

• Collaborative work environment between AI and Quantum research teams.