Senior Software Engineer for AI engineering  

Who we are 

Imec is 6000-strong non-profit R&D organisation that plays a world-leading role in the fields of semiconductor, nano-electronics, compute architecture, sensing, AI, and digital technologies. Headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, imec has offices and lab/fab facilities in several other cities in Belgium, the Netherlands, UK, US, Germany, among other countries. 

Within imec, the Software Development & Prototyping (SD&P) department (part of the AI & Algorithms Expertise Center) focuses on designing, developing, and prototyping innovative software solutions that enable, accelerate or even define imec’s R&D activities in various areas. SD&P is home to ~40 software engineers, working out of Belgium (Ghent, Leuven & Antwerp), and the Netherlands (Eindhoven and Wageningen). We have teams specializing in “full-stack” (web/mobile) applications, cloud-based data/compute platforms, and embedded software. SD&P-built solutions range from exploratory PoCs and demonstrators on one end, to production-ready business critical systems on the other.

What you will do

Your primary assignment will be to play a key role in our efforts to build robust, scalable software solutions that enabl imec’s research in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as its impact on other areas of research.  
Your work will focus on the engineering aspects of AI, such as data and model pipelines, AI tooling infrastructure, inference platforms, model versioning and lifecycle management, as well as integration of AI into everything from user-facing applications, simulations to embedded systems.  
You will also contribute your expertise to help us set up or optimize our AI-powered software development workflows, boosting our productivity and quality across the SDLC. 
Depending on the project, your work may involve: 

• Developing reusable components and API’s for model deployment, inference orchestration and monitoring.
• Supporting integration of AI into imec research.
• Contributing to internal best practices for MLOps and (AI) software engineering.
• Evaluating emerging AI technologies and tools from an engineering perspective. 

Moreover, as Senior Software Engineer within SD&P, you may also contribute to software engineering projects that enable to other R&D activities at imec, in the domains of Health, Automotive, Industry & Consumer, and IC design/manufacturing services. Across different projects, you will encounter world-class researchers, engineers, and visionary technologists. As a senior member of our department you may also be expected to coach more junior colleagues. 

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Ghent or Antwerp Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

We are looking for an experienced Computer Scientist/Software Engineer who thrives on tough technical challenges and approaches them with a combination of deeply understood first principles and pragmatically applied best practices.

We imagine an ideal candidate to roughly have these must-have & nice-to-have skills:  

Must-haves (essential skills): 

• ≥7 years of professional experience in software engineering. 
• Master or PhD degree in Computer Science (or related), or proven equivalent track record.
• Proven experience designing, implementing & deploying scalable AI/ML systems or AI-powered applications. 
• Solid understanding of the software engineering aspects of AI/ML: e.g. data pipelines, model inference, performance optimization and lifecycle management. 
• Ability to analyse, absorb, translate and structure complex requirements of specialist users and collaborate with other analysts. 
• Strong programming skills in Python and/or TypeScript. 
• Ability to apply & spread (i.e. teach) modern software engineering best practices, for example: 
  
  • striving for readable, well-structured, reusable, testable, and efficient code; 
  • proper use of git, issue tracking, CI/CD pipelines, etc.; 
  • pragmatic following of Agile processes. 
• Familiarity with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud infrastructure. 
• Eagerness to keep on top of (and pragmatically apply) software industry/OSS trends. 
• Flexibility to switch between different application domains. 
• English proficiency (professional level).

Nice to haves (a great candidate ticks a few of these boxes): 

• Experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g PyTorch, TensorFlow). 
• Experience with Dev/MLOps and related tooling (e.g. MLFlow, KubeFlow, Weights & Biases).
• Understanding how AI and in particular LLM’s impact modern software engineering practices and the ability to apply state-of-the-art advances in the field scalably within an existing way of working. 
• Knowledge of additional programming language (e.g. C/C++, Rust, Go, Java, Kotlin). 
• Experience with integration of AI into embedded or edge systems. 
• Research experience in Compute Science, AI, or related fields. 
• Understanding of responsible AI practices (fairness, privacy, explainability) as applied in engineering. 
• Dutch proficiency or willingness to learn).

If you do not fully match this description, but still think you have what it takes to fit our needs: don’t worry, get in touch and convince us! 

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.