Research Scientist (Group Leader) – 2 openings

Employer: idiap Research Institute

Location: Switzerland (CH)

Salary: Salary scale CHF 90,000–145,998, benchmarked annually to market rates, with cost-of-living increases

Closing date: Apr 22, 2026

Discipline: Physical Sciences, Computer Sciences

Position Type: Full Time

Job Type: Group Leader/Principal Investigator

Organization Type: Non-Profit

Job Details

The Idiap Research Institute is looking for two Research Scientists to conduct research in Artificial Intelligence.

We are seeking candidates in the following areas:

• AI for sustainability, leveraging the potential of AI in the specific context of Valais – a Swiss alpine region known for its natural resources and local economic activity
• Foundational machine learning, with an interest in translating advances into impactful solutions across application domains or data modalities (e.g. language, vision, audio, video, graphs, time-series)

The positions have a level of responsibility of an early career independent group leader. While we envision these roles to be full-time, we are open to exploring flexible working arrangements.

Duties include:

• Create and lead an independent research group, assuming leadership and conducting original research that contributes to one or more of the Institute’s core Research Programs: Human-AI Teaming, AI for Life, Sustainable and Resilient Societies, and AI for Everyone
• Secure external funding for research projects Supervise group members, including doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, research associates, and research engineers
• Publish in high-quality journals and conferences and actively contribute to the scientific community
• Promote and take part in cross-disciplinary collaborations within and outside the Institute
• Identify opportunities for technology transfer and industrial collaborations
• Participate in the development of demonstrators and prototypes
• Contribute to initiatives that strengthen our institutional culture

Additional information:

Start date: July 2026 or as soon as possible.

Full consideration will be given to applications submitted before the end of March.

Screening of applications will commence in April.

Your application should include a full CV (including a list of publications and externally funded projects), a research statement, and the names and contact emails of three referees.

Your Profile:

• PhD degree in a relevant field
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, innovative research with significant impact in the relevant domain Strong publication record in the specific domain of expertise
• Demonstrated ability or capacity to secure external funding

For the AI for sustainability position: demonstrated ability to conduct research in applied AI domains, including (but not limited to) alpine environments, energy, agriculture

For the foundational machine learning position: demonstrated ability to conduct research with significant impact on the field, as evidenced by a strong publication record and recognition in the ML community

Required language(s): The working language is English. Fluency in any of the national Swiss languages is a plus.

About Idiap

Idiap is a research institute of national importance that engages in fundamental research, education and technology transfer in artificial intelligence. Idiap offers competitive salaries and conditions in a dynamic, multicultural environment.

Idiap is located in Martigny, Valais, a scenic region in the south of Switzerland, surrounded by the highest mountains of Europe, and offering exceptional quality of life, exciting recreational activities, including hiking, climbing and skiing, as well as varied cultural activities.

At Idiap, we know that diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. If you believe that you could excel in this role, but you are not sure you meet all the required criteria, we very much welcome your application.