Job Description

Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning (DM3L)

Doctoral Candidate in computer vision and machine learning - analysis of green spaces and nature 80 %

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Start of employment early 2026, temporary
The EcoVision Lab in the Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning (DM3L) at University of Zurich is seeking applications for a Doctoral Candidate in computer vision and machine learning multimodal analysis of green spaces and nature to assess environmental and societal well-being in densely populated areas.



We offer an exciting and stimulating environment to study and work in. The University of Zurich has several internationally recognized research groups dedicated to data science, machine learning and remote sensing. We also collaborate with several other institutions and companies in the fields of computer vision, machine learning and earth observation, in Switzerland and abroad. The EcoVision Lab is member of the UZH Digital Society Initiative, the ETH AI Center, the new UN-ETH partnership, and the ETH for Development Center (ETH4D).

Your responsibilities

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The successful candidate will work on a project in the EcoVision Lab in cooperation with a large project consortium to build a Public Data Lab for measuring societal wellbeing under changing circumstances together with more partners from the University of Zurich, the Statistical Office of the Canton of Zurich, and the Zurich University of the Arts. Emphasis for the doctoral project is on developing deep learning and computer vision methods to jointly analyse street-view and depth imagery, aerial and terrrestrial laser scans, satellite imagery etc. in combination with auxiliary map layers provided by the project partners, cantonal and federal Swiss agencies to come up with dense, high-resolution, spatially explicit indicators of green spaces with emphasis on societal and environmental well-being. Potential indicator domains include biomass, vegetation density, plant species, plant health etc. while project leaves ample room to explore various exciting technical avenues like uncertainty quantification, interpretability, and explainability in deep neural networks, attention-based approaches, text-to-image/point cloud translation, or diffusion models, for example.

Your profile

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We are looking for candidates with an interest in performing innovative research, strong motivation, and an interest in software development. An ideal candidate will have:

an excellent degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a related field (e.g. Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics) strong mathematical understanding experience in programming, preferably in Python, and engineering prior experience in machine learning, computer vision and remote sensing


Furthermore, the candidate should be fluent in English, both written and spoken.

Information on your application

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Please submit your complete application (motivation letter, curriculum vitae, school and university score records, contact details of at least two referees) via the link. The deadline for applications is 31st of October 2025 and the desired starting date is early 2026. Selection will start immediately, so early submissions are encouraged.

What we offer

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Work-Life Balance

Flexible working models (such as part-time positions, mobile working, job-sharing) Childcare at the kihz foundation of UZH and ETH

Learning and Development

Wide range of continuing education courses of UZH and the Canton of Zurich Language Center run jointly with ETH Zurich

Food

Food and drinks at reduced prices in the UZH cafeterias Lunch-Check-card with UZH contribution

Healthcare

Special conditions on the Academic Sports Association ASVZ Free seasonal flu vaccinations Rest and relaxation at the quiet room in the university tower

Discounts

Private traffic: Carsharing, rent a vehicle, parking space Digitalization: Hardware, software, mobile phone subscriptions Special conditions on hotel reservations

Conditions of Employment

Policies of the UZH Most UZH staff are employed according to public law

International Services

Support for people from outside Switzerland

Campuses

Campuses Zurich City, Zurich Irchel, Oerlikon and Schlieren Sites Zurich West, Old Botanical Garden, Botanical Garden and Lengg

Location

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Department of Mathematical Modeling and Machine Learning (DM3L)

Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland

Further information

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Questions about the job

Prof. Jan Dirk Wegner

Professor

Questions about the application procedure

Nicole Trolese

HR Responsible

Working at UZH

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The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!