Internship or Master's Thesis — AI Methods for Quantum Algorithms & Systems

Description

We invite Master’s students to pursue a thesis at the intersection of artificial intelligence and quantum computing. You’ll work in close collaboration between the AI and Quantum research teams, advancing algorithms that leverage both AI and quantum computing on today’s and tomorrow’s hardware.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI-driven techniques applied to linear algebra problems or complex system modelling, exploring the use of Quantum Computing.
• Design and prototype hybrid quantum/classical workflows executed on simulators and IBM Quantum hardware.
• Run systematic benchmarks against strong classical baselines, analyze scaling behavior, and document results for internal reports, your Master’s thesis (where relevant), and (where appropriate) publications.
• Contribute high-quality, reproducible code and, when possible, open-source packages (e.g., Qiskit extensions, example notebooks, datasets).

Qualifications

Master's Thesis:

• Enrollment in a Master’s program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field.

Internship:

• MsC or PhD (preferably) degrees in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with quantum computing (e.g., Qiskit or other SDKs): building/optimizing circuits; executing on simulators and/or real devices.
• Foundational knowledge of AI/ML and model training (optimization concepts, metrics, overfitting/regularization).
• Strong Python skills and sound software practices (Linux, git/GitHub, testing, reproducibility).
• Familiarity with experiment orchestration, containers, and CI.
• Clear communication in English and a structured, collaborative working style.

Preferred Qualifications

• Solid background in algorithm development and linear algebra.
• Familiarity with experiment orchestration (job queues, trackers), containers, and CI.
• Scientific writing experience; well-documented research code.

Location, Timing, and Format

• Location: IBM Research Europe – Zurich, Switzerland.
• Duration: Typically 5–6 months (Master’s thesis) or 3-6 months (Internship)
• Supervision: Jointly by researchers from the AI and Quantum teams; access to IBM Quantum services.

How to apply

Please submit your CV including contact information for two or three references. We encourage candidates to also share a 3-minute video, in which they introduce themselves, as well as highlight their motivation and expertise. The video is not mandatory.