PhD Position in Quantum Machine Learning jointly with University of Zurich 100 %

The PhD candidate will work at the forefront of quantum machine learning with potential collaborators from Paul Scherrer Institute, a world-class research lab in Switzerland that currently develops several prototypes of cutting-edge quantum hardware.

School:

School of Engineering

Starting date:

February 2026 / Application deadline: December 15, 2025

Your role

• Contribute to research projects in the area of quantum machine learning applied to different domains, e.g. physics, chemistry, or industrial use cases.
• Collaborate with project partners both in academia and industry.
• Advance our research prototypes in the area of hybrid quantum-classical algorithms for quantum machine learnig and related topics.
• Establish a strong research track record as well as a successful footprint in quantum machine learning.

Quantum machine learning leverages fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics such as entanglement and superposition. These are powerful concepts that do not exist in classical machine learning and big tech companies such as Google, IBM and Micsoft are racing toward the holy grail in quantum computing - namely do demonstrate quantum advange for practical applications. The position will lead to a joint PhD between Zurich University of Applied Sciences and University of Zurich. The candidate is expected to significantly contribute to novel research in developing quantum machine learning algorithms with practical applications on real quantum hardware.

Your profile

The successful candidate has completed a Master's degree in computer science or other relevant fields. She or he must have prior exposure to and strong interest in the fields of quantum machine learning with programming experience in quantum programming toolkits such as Qiskit, PennyLane or similar. The candidate must also have experience with programming on real quantum hardware such as IBM Q, IonQ, or similar. We also expect a good command as well as a passion for programming.

Good communication skills in English are essential; a good command of German is a plus. The ideal candidate is passionate about identifying unsolved problems as well as proposing novel ideas for future activities. Emphasis is on developing prototypes, experimenting hands-on with data, scientific evaluation, and publication of results.

This is what we stand for

Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW is one of Switzerland's largest multidisciplinary universities of applied sciences, with over 14'000 students and 3'400 faculty and staff.

As one of the leading Engineering Faculties in Switzerland, the ZHAW School of Engineering (SOE) emphasizes topics which will be relevant in the future. Our 13 institutes and centers guarantee superior-quality education, research and development with a focus on the areas of energy, mobility, information and health.

ZHAW is committed to gender-mixed and diverse teams in order to promote equality, diversity and innovation.

What you can expect

We offer working conditions and terms of employment commensurate with higher education institutions and actively promote personal development for staff in leadership and non-leadership positions. A detailed description of advantages and benefits can be found at Working at the ZHAW. The main points are listed below:

Contact

Prof. Dr. Kurt Stockinger
Professor of Computer Science and Head of Intelligent Information Systems Group

Irina Keiser
Recruiting Manager