PhD Researcher - Agentic AI

Emerging Scholars Council; Zürich; Hybrid; CHF 27.000 - 34.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

TAFEP Singapore

32 nationalities

25 days annual leave

Birthday Leave

Dental benefits

Healthcare insurance

NS mark certification

Networking opportunities

Zusammenfassung

The Singapore-ETH Centre in Singapore is inviting applications for a PhD student to work on an agentic AI platform for multimodal data ingestion, LLM-based workflows, and personalised interventions in health. The role spans collaboration with researchers across disciplines and international partners, with opportunities for high-impact publications.

The position emphasizes translational research, ethical data governance, and hands-on development of cross-platform mobile apps and backend

Jobbeschreibung

The Singapore-ETH Centre was established in 2010 by ETH Zurich - The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF), as part of the NRF’s CREATE campus. As ETH Zurich's only research centre outside of Switzerland, the centre has strengthened the research capacity of ETH Zurich to develop sustainable solutions to global challenges in Switzerland, Singapore and the surrounding regions.

Job Description

The PhD will form part of a broader interdisciplinary research programme in mobile health and AI, with applications in areas such as mental well-being, fall prevention, stroke rehabilitation, and chronic disease prevention. The PhD student will work in an interdisciplinary team spanning behavioural scientists, clinical psychologists, computer scientists, AI engineers, and health systems researchers.

The position involves close collaboration with research partners in Singapore, including Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Duke-NUS Medical School, as well as public health and healthcare stakeholders.

The PhD student will be responsible for designing, developing, and validating a comprehensive agentic AI platform that supports multimodal data ingestion, knowledge retrieval, and LLM-based workflows for the delivery of evidence-based coaching strategies, including motivational interviewing. This includes analysing time-series data from smartphone sensors and usage logs using advanced statistical and machine learning approaches to develop personalised nudging and adaptive interventions. The candidate will also lead the development of a cross-platform mobile application for delivering and monitoring these interventions, including deployment and management of the associated backend infrastructure.

The PhD student will work in close partnership with researchers developing hardware interfaces for device data ingestion and will support clinical validation studies to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the developed interventions with end-users and key stakeholders. The candidate will also contribute to ethics submissions, data governance documentation, and analysis plans in accordance with Singaporean and international research standards.

The role involves publishing findings in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and presenting at leading international conferences. Given the applied, translational nature of the project, the position offers exceptional opportunities for professional development and for contributing to healthcare innovations with direct real-world impact across domains including mental well-being, stroke rehabilitation, falls prevention, and chronic disease management.

Profile

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree (or be near completion) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Informatics, Information Systems, or a closely related discipline.
• A strong theoretical and practical foundation in machine learning is essential, encompassing both the underlying principles, such as model evaluation and data pipelines, and their applied forms, including training, fine-tuning, and deployment of models using frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Solid proficiency in Python and a genuine interest in applying AI to real-world healthcare challenges are required.
• Prior experience integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) into applications, including prompt engineering, API integration, or retrieval-augmented generation, is a significant advantage.
• Candidates must demonstrate strong previous experience in software and application development, ideally including the design or prototyping of mobile health (mHealth) applications.
• Familiarity with cross-platform frameworks such as React Native (frontend) and Django or FastAPI (backend) is expected, alongside proficiency in Python and JavaScript/TypeScript.
• Knowledge of cloud platforms such as AWS for deployment is a further advantage.
• The successful candidate must demonstrate excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, strong written and spoken communication in English, and the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within a large, international, multidisciplinary team.
• A genuine motivation to engage with interdisciplinary partners, including clinicians, behavioural scientists, software engineers, community organisations, and patients, and to pursue rigorous, translational research with direct clinical impact is essential.

We offer

• Accredited with 5 Tripartite Standards by Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Singapore.
• A diverse workplace with 32 nationalities, offering ample opportunities for mutual learning.
• Positive and inclusive working environment.
• 25 days of annual leave for fixed-term contracts.
• 1 day of Birthday Leave.
• Annual dental benefits.
• Committed to being a supportive employer as you prioritize your physical and mental wellness.
• Comprehensive healthcare insurance coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangement (up to 2 days per week from home).
• Abundant networking opportunities across various disciplines.
• Accredited with NS mark certification.

Working, teaching and research at ETH Zurich

We value diversity and sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity and nurture a working and learning environment in which the rights and dignity of all our staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to find out how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to grow and flourish. Sustainability is a core value for us – we are consistently working towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So are we.

Further information about The Singapore-ETH Centre can be found on our website. Questions regarding the position should be directed to Prof. Florian von WANGENHEIM (ETH Zurich), [email protected], (strictly no applications)

We would like to point out that the pre-selection is carried out by the responsible recruiters and not by artificial intelligence.

About ETH Zürich

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting‑edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.