Open positions

The Robot Learning & Interaction Group at the Idiap Research Institute is regulary searching for motivated and outstanding postdocs, PhD students, software developers and research interns. If your research interests fit with our research activities, you can submit your application here.

PhD candidates should hold a Master degree in engineering, computer science, physics or applied mathematics, with a background in signal processing, control, optimization, machine learning, linear algebra, statistics and programming. The selected candidates will become doctoral students at EPFL (after hiring, they will submit their applications to the EDEE Doctoral School at EPFL). PhD positions are for 4 years. Annual gross salary starts at 52,400 CHF (first year).

Postdoc candidates should hold a PhD degree in engineering, computer science, physics or applied mathematics, with a background in signal processing, control, optimization, machine learning, linear algebra, statistics and programming. The Postdoc position is from one to two years. Annual gross salary is 80,000 CHF. Part time employment (onsite) is possible if desired.

The research in the Robot Learning & Interaction Group spans several disciplines at the crossroad of machine learning, optimization, optimal control, geometry, human motion sciences and user interfaces. This research statement provides an overview of our research lines. Our group is small, which facilitates both the collaboration and the visibility of each person's research. We are particularly interested in the challenge of learning/transferring skills from few demonstrations or exploration trials.

Who do I seek?

Our research activities span several branches of science, and there is consequently no specific educational background sought for these positions. The ideal candidate should have strong expertise in one or a subset of the research topics described above. Other areas of research extending our current lines of research are also welcome for outstanding candidates: if you are a great candidate, we will adapt the project to you!

The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, creative, curious and motivated to do research with both theory and practice. I expect strong mathematical skills (in particular, in linear algebra, machine learning or optimization) and strong coding skills (Python, C++ or Matlab/Octave).

Please submit a short cover letter (max 1 page) to describe your motivation and how your background and interests fit with our research activities (see this research statement, this short description of our research, and our latest publications).

For the preparation of your CV, relative ranking are apprciated when available, such as average grade in the class or the rank in the class. If you are applying for a PhD position, you may not have experience with research, but you will most likely have done projects during courses, so tell me about the projects you liked the most!

What is Idiap?

Idiap is an independent nonprofit research institute, affiliated with the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). It is located in the town of Martigny in the Swiss Alps, 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. It is within proximity to Lausanne and Geneva.You can check out our annual reports to know more about Idiap.

Idiap offers exceptional salaries and conditions at all levels in a young, high-quality, dynamic, and multicultural environment. Although Idiap is located in the French part of Switzerland, English is the official working language. Idiap is an equal opportunity employer. We specifically encourage women and minorities to apply.

For frequently asked questions (FAQs) about living in Switzerland, you can visit http://www.idiap.ch/en/faq.