Engineer specializing in cognitive AI, autonomous agents and human interaction

Euraxess; Madrid; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Funditec is seeking a Cognitive AI Researcher to join the Intelligence unit. You will design and validate AI systems capable of interpreting language, reasoning about objectives, and assisting decision-making in security, robotics, and defense.

The role emphasizes human-centered evaluation and robust experimentation. Applicants should have strong Python expertise, experience with AI frameworks, and familiarity with LLMs, embeddings, and RAG workflows.

Qualifications

• Experience in cognitive AI, agents, and human interaction.
• Ability to translate cognitive constructs into measurable variables.
• Experience designing and evaluating AI systems for security, robotics, or defense.
• Proficiency with Python and AI/ML frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Implement cognitive AI modules for language understanding and context.
• Develop agents and interactive systems with LLMs, RAG, and memory.
• Conduct human-machine interaction tests across modalities.
• Define frameworks for attention, memory, perception, and decision-making.
• Experiment, train, validate, and compare AI models; ensure reproducibility.

Skills

Python

C++

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Hugging Face

scikit-learn

Pandas

NumPy

LLMs

Embeddings

RAG

Prompting

Model APIs

Agents

Git

GitHub/GitLab

Docker

MLflow

DVC

CI/CD

ROS2

Computer Vision

Simulators

Statistics & Experimental Design

Behavioral Analysis

Education

PhD or Master in a related field

Tools

Docker

MLflow

DVC

ROS2

GitHub/GitLab

Job description

Organisation/Company Funditec Research Field Engineering » Communication engineering Researcher Profile Other Profession Positions Master Positions Application Deadline 28 Sep 2026 - 09:00 (Europe/Madrid) Country Spain Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Funditec (Technological Foundation) promotes applied R&D projects to address critical challenges in digital transformation and security. The Funditec Intelligence unit leads AI/ML-based initiatives aimed at achieving real impact in sectors such as cybersecurity, defense, and dual-use systems.

Job Purpose

We are seeking a candidate with expertise in Cognitive AI, Agents, and Human Interaction who combines technical skills in artificial intelligence engineering with an understanding of human factors, cognitive psychology, human-machine interaction, and the evaluation of people-centered intelligent systems. The role is focused on supporting the design, implementation, testing, and validation of cognitive AI solutions capable of interpreting language, processing context, reasoning about objectives, generating plans, interacting with humans, and supporting decision-making or automation tasks in the fields of security, robotics, cybersecurity, and defense.

Key Responsibilities

Implementation of cognitive AI modules

• Implement components for language understanding, intent classification, entity extraction, constraints, and context.
• Develop prototypes for generating structured specifications, plans, task trees, or conceptual behavior trees.

Development of Agents and Interactive Systems

• Collaborate on the development of agents based on LLMs, RAG, embeddings, memory, tools, and decision flows.
• Implement human-machine interaction tests using text, voice, graphical interfaces, simulators, or robotic environments.

Cognitive, Behavioral, and Human Factors Modeling

• Define conceptual frameworks based on attention, memory, perception, decision-making, mental load, learning, and trust.
• Translate psychological and cognitive constructs into measurable variables applicable to AI systems.

Experimentation, Evaluation, and Data Analysis

• Conduct experiments to train, validate, and compare AI models.
• Prepare datasets, clean data, document preprocessing workflows, and ensure experimental traceability.

Generative AI, Multimodal Models, and Decision Support Systems

• Use LLM APIs and frameworks for generation, classification, extraction, reasoning, and evaluation tasks.
• Implement basic or intermediate workflows involving prompting, embeddings, RAG, vector stores, and response evaluation.

MLOps, Quality, Security, and Documentation

• Use Git, GitHub/GitLab, and best practices for collaborative development.
• Support reproducible pipelines using MLflow, DVC, Docker, notebooks, and basic CI/CD.

Technical Skills

• Programming: Python as the primary language; C++ is a plus.
• AI/ML Frameworks: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face, scikit-learn.
• Data: Pandas, NumPy, visualization, notebooks, data cleaning, and analysis.
• Deep Learning Fundamentals: CNNs, RNNs/LSTMs, transformers, and basic generative models.
• Basic to intermediate knowledge of LLMs, embeddings, RAG, prompting, model APIs, and agents.
• Version control: Git, GitHub/GitLab.
• A plus: Docker, MLflow, DVC, CI/CD, ROS2, audio processing, computer vision, or simulators.
• Applied statistics, experimental design, and behavioral analysis.

Work at FUNDITEC

Joining our team means working in a cutting-edge and unique environment that will allow you to participate in technological development and innovation, offering solutions adapted to current economic and social needs. If you consider yourself a strong team player who also has a high degree of autonomy, if you are capable of contributing solutions and ideas and are an analytical person, don't wait any longer. This is the project for you, and we want to meet you!