Head of Geospatial AI - Foundation Models and Geo-Intelligence Platform

Head of Geospatial AI - Foundation Models and Geo-Intelligence Platform ETH Swiss GeoLab is an interdisciplinary unit of ETH Zürich, focused on Earth observation and its applications. It brings together satellite, airborne, ground‑based and in‑situ observations. AI‑driven analysis methods and high‑performance computing are applied to develop solutions for societal and economic challenges. Located at the D4 Business Village in Root, ETH Swiss GeoLab works at the interface of research, technology development and practical application. In its first phase the GeoLab focuses on a few high‑impact application areas such as natural hazards, agriculture and forestry. The GeoLab is led by Prof. Dr. Verena Griess and Prof. Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, with Dr. Felix Seidel as Managing Director. This position is offered as a fixed‑term appointment for an initial period of two years, extendable. Responsibilities Define and implement the GeoLab’s geospatial AI and technical strategy. Establish the target architecture for multimodal foundation models, agentic systems, geospatial data pipelines, compute environments and the shared Geo‑Intelligence Platform. Adopt or set technical standards, priorities, interfaces and development principles aligned with GeoLab strategy and mission requirements. Drive and lead the design, development, evaluation and operationalisation of multimodal geospatial foundation models and related agentic capabilities. Encourage, enable or direct prototyping, benchmarking, validation and integration activities. Ensure that technical work produces reliable, reusable and operationally relevant capabilities rather than isolated research demonstrators. Own and adapt the technical roadmap and delivery of the shared Geo‑Intelligence Platform, including data access, processing pipelines, model‑training environments, deployment capabilities and integration with HPC and cloud infrastructure. Coordinate with CSCS, ETH units, innovation leaders and technology providers to ensure scalability, security, efficiency and maintainability. Work with the Natural Hazards, Agriculture, Forestry and future Mission Leads to translate mission requirements into technical capabilities and delivery plans. Assess feasibility, define technical milestones, allocate technical resources and resolve trade‑offs between mission‑specific development and reusable platform components. Redirect technical work when evidence, performance or mission priorities require it. Lead or support technical collaborations with ETH groups, research institutions, CSCS, hyperscalers, companies, start‑ups and open‑source communities. Structure joint development activities, evaluate external capabilities and mobilise partners where they can accelerate delivery or provide distinctive expertise. Qualifications A Master’s or PhD degree in computer science, machine learning, geo‑informatics, engineering, remote sensing or a related field. Several years of experience leading technical AI/ML, geospatial data or large‑scale software and platform development activities that include interactions with user communities. Demonstrated experience defining technical architectures, guiding interdisciplinary teams and managing technical resources such as platform architectures and large‑scale data processing and ML workflows. Strong expertise in machine learning and multimodal foundation models with a track record of learning and adaptability as the industry and technological tools change, including experience with agentic AI, reasoning systems or related AI architectures. Excellent understanding of geospatial AI, Earth observation and remote sensing. Experience with HPC, cloud infrastructure or distributed computing environments. Proven ability to build reliable, reusable and operational technical capabilities in a cost‑effective and agile manner. Experience working with academic, infrastructure, technology or industry partners. Excellent written and spoken English; German or French is an asset. Benefits The opportunity to help build ETH Swiss GeoLab from its early phase and shape a new national competence centre for Earth observation. Senior technical leadership role with high visibility and strategic relevance. Direct application of geospatial AI capabilities to societal, environmental and economic challenges. Opportunity to build novel and useful AI, data and platform capabilities for multiple mission areas. Workplace in Root/Lucerne embedded in an active innovation ecosystem and closely connected to ETH Zurich. Job Details Work location 6039 Root D4 (LU) Workload 100% Employment start By agreement Employment duration Until 11.07.2027 Language skills English – orally: Very good, written: Very good For recruitment services the GTC of ETH Zurich apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr