Senior AI Research Engineer

Company Description
Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,300 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 18 million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.
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Job Description
We are looking for a Senior AI Research Engineer to join our research team and help shape the next generation of AI agents at Nexthink.
We are looking for someone with a strong leadership mindset: someone who can take ownership of ambiguous problems, guide a small team, make pragmatic technical decisions, and turn early ideas into working prototypes.
You will work in a fast-moving research environment where problems are often under-specified. You should be excited by ambiguity, when the goal is defined but the path is still unexplored. You should know how to explore, prototype, evaluate, and decide when something is "good enough" to move forward.
You will collaborate closely with engineers, product leaders, researchers, and business stakeholders. This requires not only strong technical depth in AI, but also clear communication and the ability to adapt your message depending on the audience.
As part of the AI team at Nexthink, you will:

• Lead the design and development of AI agents and features, from vague problem definition to production deployment impacting millions of users.
• Drive rapid prototyping and experimentation to validate ideas and unlock new opportunities.
• Help guide the team's technical direction, priorities, and execution of rhythm.
• Make fast, pragmatic decisions when trade-offs are unclear.
• Support and mentor engineers while keeping the team focused on outcomes.
• Maintain a strong sense of what matters: customer value, technical feasibility, speed of learning, and long-term product potential.
• Explore new AI technologies, tools, models, and agentic patterns with curiosity and critical judgment.

Discover our latest projects over here: https://nexthink.com/dex-frontier-labs
Qualifications

• BSc/MSc in AI, CS, Data Science, or a related field.
• 3-7+ years of experience in software engineering and applied AI/ML (including impactful projects or research).
• Strong builder mindset, and hands-on experience in AI engineering, ML, LLMs, agents, or applied AI systems.
• Proven ability to lead technical work in ambiguous or fast-changing environments.
• Pragmatic mindset: able to move fast without sacrificing what truly matters.
• Ability to balance research exploration with concrete delivery.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience in mentoring, technical ownership, or leading initiatives.
• Clear and structured communicator, able to adapt communication style to engineers, executives, product teams, and customers.
• High ownership, and strong ability to work collaboratively in a small, high-impact team.

Nice to Have

• Experience in enterprise-scale products.

Additional Information
We are the pioneers and trailblazers of a global IT Market Category (DEX) that is shaping the future of how the world works, giving our customers' IT Teams total digital visibility across their enterprise. Our innovative solutions integrate real-time analytics, automation, and employee feedback across all endpoints. This enables our IT teams to solve complex technical challenges, create ever more productive workplaces, and deliver happy, satisfied employees in the digital workplace.
With over 1000 employees across 5 continents, Nexthink operates as One Team, connecting, collaborating and innovating to continuously grow. We call our employees 'Nexthinkers' and our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity is second to none. We currently have over 75 nationalities working with us, from all cultures and backgrounds, speaking many different languages.
If you are looking for a change and like a nice atmosphere, lots of challenges, and having fun while working, this is a great opportunity for you! Check what we offer:

• Permanent Contract and a competitive compensation package.
• Beautiful office, conveniently located next to the Prilly-Malley train station
• Hybrid work model balancing office and remote work, with a structured approach for new hires to foster connections and onboarding.
• Flexible Hours and unlimited vacation (employees have unlimited paid time off on top of the 25 days of holidays we offer) plus 3 company-paid volunteer days.
• Free access to a fitness centre inside the building.
• Reimbursement of the half-fare travel card for public transport.
• ‍ Reimbursement up to 50% of the cost of French classes.
• Fresh fruit, cookies, and soft drinks as well.
• Regular company and team events like Voluntary Days, Pizza talks, Team Building activities, hosting Meetups at the office and more!
• Bonuses for referring successful hires after three months of continuous employment.
• We offer a relocation package to people who are coming from another country.

Please note that not all the benefits listed above are available for temporary, contract, and internship roles. To ensure you have the most up-to-date information, we recommend checking with your Recruitment Partner.