Postdoctoral Researcher - OCCL 100%

Postdoctoral Researcher – will co‑lead the development of a novel open‑source accelerator communication library (OCCL) supporting point‑to‑point and collective communication for distributed AI workloads.

Responsibilities

• Co‑lead the design and development of the OCCL supporting point‑to‑point and collective communication for distributed AI workloads.
• Design and implement communication primitives and algorithms optimized for machine learning training and inference workloads, supporting communication initiated by both host applications and accelerator device kernels.
• Investigate and optimize communication patterns for large‑scale deep learning workloads, including techniques for improving efficiency through communication scheduling and overlap with computation.
• Ensure the library is configurable and portable across diverse hardware platforms and network substrates, including modern high‑performance interconnect technologies such as UCX, NVLINK, InfiniBand, UltraEthernet and related frameworks.
• Evaluate and optimize the library and associated software components on GPU clusters and large‑scale computing systems, ensuring performance scalability, robustness and usability across heterogeneous computing architectures.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers at partner institutions in Singapore and Zurich to integrate OCCL with the broader FastTrackAI software ecosystem.
• Maintain effective communication and collaboration with supervisors, research staff and external partners distributed across Singapore and Zurich, ensuring alignment of research objectives and deliverables.
• Prepare and publish key scientific outputs, including papers documenting research outcomes and system developments.
• Contribute to the co‑supervision of MSc and BSc students working on related research topics.

Profile

• PhD in Computer Science or a related field.
• Strong background in computer science, parallel computing, compilers, and performance optimization for high‑performance computer systems.
• Excellent knowledge of C and C++.
• Working knowledge of the design principles of existing high‑level communication libraries such as MPI and NCCL.
• Experience with modern communication and network technologies used in HPC and ML environments, such as UCX, NVLINK, InfiniBand, UltraEthernet or related frameworks.
• Prior knowledge of communication optimization for large‑scale ML training and inference workloads; publications in distributed ML systems, HPC systems or related areas are highly desirable.
• Experience managing and carrying out larger software engineering projects, as the aim is to build a software product, not just a prototype.
• Ability to work independently and communicate effectively with remote colleagues across Singapore and Zurich.
• Proficient in written and spoken English.

We offer

• Accredited with 5 Tripartite Standards by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair & Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) Singapore.
• A diverse workplace with 32 nationalities, offering ample opportunities for mutual learning.
• A positive and inclusive working environment.
• 25 days of annual leave for fixed‑term contracts.
• 1 day of Birthday Leave.
• Annual dental benefits.
• Supportive employer prioritizing physical and mental wellness.
• Comprehensive healthcare insurance coverage.
• Flexible hybrid work arrangement (up to 2 days per week from home).
• Abundant networking opportunities across various disciplines.
• Accredited with NS mark certification.

The Singapore‑ETH Centre is an equal opportunity and family‑friendly employer. All candidates will be evaluated on their merits and qualifications, without regard to gender, race, age or religion.