Public AI Fellow

Location: Any major city in Switzerland, preferably Zürich
Commitment: Deliverable-based, then part-time
Compensation: 5,000 CHF stipend
Start date: ASAP

We are seeking a dynamic and mission-driven Public AI Fellow based in Switzerland to support the growth of public AI initiatives across the country. This fellow will play a central role in advancing Public AI Switzerland, the Public AI Inference Utility, and Apertus—and in strengthening Switzerland’s position as a global anchor for sovereign, publicly-governed AI infrastructure. A key through line of the role will be building toward Public AI’s participation in the Swiss AI Summit in February 2027.

• Support the operational growth of Public AI Switzerland, including coordination with founding partners and cantonal/federal stakeholders.
• Help advance the Public AI Inference Utility and the deployment of Apertus as flagship examples of public AI infrastructure.
• Build trust and support relationship development across Switzerland’s public sector, national research institutions (CSCS, Swiss AI Initiative, ETH, EPFL), and AI industry.
• Help align Swiss interests with a broader international coalition focused on public AI.
• Contribute to the Swiss National AI Dialogue and other public deliberation efforts tied to Apertus.
• Support preparation for Public AI’s participation in the Swiss AI Summit (February 2027), including programming, partner engagement, and positioning.
• Provide political and operational advice to support consortium-building efforts.
• Work closely with our engineering team and the Public AI Switzerland cooperative members, alongside partners at CSCS, the Swiss AI Initiative, and peer institutions.

• Strong operational instincts—someone who can move initiatives forward, coordinate across institutions, and keep complex work streams on track.
• Existing connections or credibility within Switzerland’s AI, research, policy, or public sector communities.
• Familiarity with Swiss tech, policy, and/or research ecosystems—or the social intelligence to engage with and grow such a network.
• Working familiarity with technical subjects in open source AI (foundation models, inference infrastructure, open weights) and policy subjects (AI governance, digital sovereignty, public infrastructure).
• A keen interest in AI, geopolitics, public infrastructure, or the future of technology governance.
• Bonus if you have experience in diplomacy, international tech collaborations, foundation models, or national AI strategies of Switzerland or other middle-power countries.
• Bonus if you have working proficiency in German, French, or Italian alongside English.

This is an opportunity to shape Switzerland’s role in a high-level international initiative, and gain a front-row seat to global AI diplomacy and infrastructure strategy. You’ll work with a powerful network of international technologists, policymakers, and public interest organizations.