AI Research Scientist

Company Overview We’re a newly-founded cutting-edge startup that is seeking to revolutionize the sports industry with AI-powered solutions. Our mission is to unlock human potential and redefine the sports experience through innovation and technology. We’re a team of passionate and talented individuals who are dedicated to making a significant impact in the world of sports. Job Summary We are seeking an experienced AI Research Scientist to join our on-site team in Zurich, Switzerland. The successful candidate will contribute to the research, design, development, and validation of advanced machine learning and AI models that power our next-generation sports products. This is a research-focused, high-impact position requiring strong theoretical foundations, practical ML expertise, and close collaboration with engineering and product stakeholders. Key Responsibilities Formulate and shape AI research initiatives aligned with our product and long-term vision. Design, implement, train, and evaluate machine learning models and algorithms. Explore state-of-the-art methods in areas such as agentic AI, LLMs, Transformers, Stable Diffusion, RAG, deep learning, time-series modeling and probabilistic modeling. Conduct experiments, ablation studies, and accuracy/error analysis to understand model behavior and limitations. Define appropriate metrics and evaluation protocols to assess model performance. Analyze large and complex datasets, including geospatial, sensor, and temporal data. Provide functional prototypes, model insights, and clear documentation to engineers. Stay current with academic and industry research, and evaluate its relevance to our domain. Experience 5+ years of experience in AI, machine learning, or applied research roles, or a PhD in a relevant field with applied research experience. Technical Skills Strong foundation in machine learning, statistics, and mathematical modeling. Proficiency in Python for prototyping and experimentation. Knowledge of agentic AI systems, LLMs, foundation models, fine-tuning, RAG and prompt-engineering. Experience using GPU-based research environments. Nice to Have Paper publications or demonstrable research contributions in ML or AI. Background in time-series analysis, reinforcement learning, or multimodal learning. Exposure to working with sports, human movement, or performance-related data. Prior experience collaborating with product and engineering teams in applied research settings. Tools Among other tools, we use Slack, Google Suite, Zoom, Notion, GitHub (incl. Copilot), and Excalidraw. Who You Are You have a genuine passion for outdoor sports. Most of us love cycling, hiking, running or anything that gets us moving. You own a curiosity that fuels innovation and drives you to explore new ideas and solutions. You have strong problem-solving skills and you are able to debug complex technical issues. You are an excellent communicator and collaborator, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams. You have strong attention to detail, with a focus on delivering high-quality solutions. You take ownership of your responsibilities, embracing accountability for key decisions and tasks. You have an open and creative mindset that makes you think beyond the obvious. What We Offer Full-time employment at a dynamic and well-funded startup. Competitive compensation: a competitive salary and benefits package (stock options, pension plan bonus, 25 days of paid vacation, plus public holidays). Flexible working culture: combine the lively atmosphere of the office with remote work. Company outings and sport events. Charming office next to the lake of Zurich, good connections by public transport and fully-equipped kitchen. Why Join Us Be part of something new: join a well-funded startup that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible in sports technology. Own a piece of the company: benefit from our growth and success. As an early employee, we offer a generous equity package. Work with a talented team: we are passionate individuals that speak German, Basque, French, Spanish and more. We use English as our main communication language at work. Opportunity to make an impact: the chance to work on products that are seeking to reach millions of users. Professional growth: ability to take ownership and grow in a rapidly evolving company. If you're a motivated and experienced AI Research Scientist who is crazy about sports and looking for a new challenge, we'd love to hear from you Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Engineering and Information Technology Industries: Software Development Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at ZEVEN by 2x We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. #J-18808-Ljbffr