Research Engineer - Interactive AI Characters Platform

ETH Zurich's Computer Graphics Laboratory seeks a Research Engineer to develop and maintain interactive AI avatar platforms, including Digital Einstein, across AR, web, and physical deployments.

The AI Characters team at ETH Zurich's Computer Graphics Laboratory is looking for a Research Engineer to play a key role in building and sustaining interactive AI avatar platforms like Digital Einstein. The position involves advancing lifelike digital humans through large language models, affective computing, and real-time rendering, with deployments at major international events. The role will also drive platform expansion into augmented reality, web-based accessibility, novel hardware interactions, and enhanced LLM-driven cognitive features.

Responsibilities

• Develop Unity-based frontend components for Digital Einstein, focusing on AR experiences and physical platform maintenance, with an emphasis on reusable code across deployment contexts.
• Build and maintain Python backend systems, prioritizing LLM integration to enhance dialogue quality, story adherence, agency, multimodal perception, affective cognition, and multi-turn interaction management.
• Create a web-based version of Digital Einstein to improve public accessibility.
• Provide on-site technical support at national and international events, including setup, visitor interaction, troubleshooting, and occasional weekend availability.
• Optionally design and develop novel hardware interaction elements, such as tangible interfaces, for the physical platform.

Requirements

• Hold a university degree (BSc or MSc) in Computer Science or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrate solid hands-on experience with Unity.
• Possess experience in augmented reality development, preferably with ARKit, ARFoundation, ARCore, Meta Quest, or similar frameworks.
• Show hands-on experience with large language models and Python-based backend development.
• Be willing to provide on-site event support, including occasional weekend work.

Nice to have

• Experience with web development is considered a plus.
• Interest in hardware prototyping and interactive installation design is advantageous.

What the company offers

• A central engineering role in a high-visibility AI avatar platform showcased at flagship international events.
• Exposure to cutting-edge research at the intersection of real-time graphics, large language models, and affective computing.
• Opportunities to contribute to academic publications and research outputs.
• Involvement in the full lifecycle of an interactive platform, from research prototype to large-scale public deployment.
• Collaborative, international team at ETH Zurich’s Computer Graphics Laboratory.
• Regular mentoring and close involvement in shaping the platform’s technical roadmap.
• Dynamic research environment with a hands-on, engineering-driven culture.