Privacy-preserving Ml Researcher

**Privacy-preserving ML Researcher**

**Job Title**:Privacy-preserving ML Researcher

**Job Ref**: AICOS_Jobs_2025_08

**Job Type**: Full time contract.

**Job Location**: Porto, Portugal.

Fraunhofer Portugal AICOS is seeking a talented Machine Learning Researcher or Engineer to join our dynamic and multidisciplinary team within the Intelligent Systems Group. In this role, you will be at the forefront of technological innovation, working on applied research projects that bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world impact. You will contribute to initiatives that enhance industries, promote social well-being, and improve quality of life. Specifically, you will contribute to the development of a robust and flexible Privacy-preserving ML backend and data orchestration framework aiming to support the development and deployment of private, secure, and robust ML pipelines.

**Your role**:

- Privacy-Preserving ML Framework Development:

- Continue the development of a comprehensive framework for privacy-preserving learning, highlighting Federated Learning capabilities (supporting Nvidia Flare);
- Integrate and experiment with additional privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) offered by NVIDIA Flare, including homomorphic encryption and differential privacy;
- Build upon the existing API and UI to enable flexible experimentation and enhance user experience.
- Deployment & Platform Scalability:

- Deploy the platform across diverse environments, from cloud infrastructures (e.g., AWS) to edge devices (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson);
- Maintain high engineering standards while continuously adapting to new challenges and research insights, applied to different use cases, from healthcare to industrial scenarios.
- Data Orchestration & Collaboration:

- Collaborate on data orchestration initiatives, assessing various solutions (e.g., DataHub) for data discovery, governance, and management;
- Evaluate and compare different technologies, identifying pros and cons to guide platform evolution;
- Work closely with multidisciplinary teams to integrate data orchestration solutions seamlessly into existing workflows.

**Your profile**:

- **Academic Qualifications**: Master’s degree or equivalent qualifications in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, or related studies.
- **Technical Skills**:

- Programming: Solid foundation in Python (and possibly other languages), version control (Git), and software development best practices;
- Federated Learning: Hands-on experience with frameworks like NVIDIA Flare or Flower, or strong willingness to learn;
- Other Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs): Familiarity with homomorphic encryption, differential privacy, or other PETs, is a plus;
- Deployment: Proficiency in deploying solutions on cloud environments (e.g., AWS, Azure) and, ideally, on edge devices (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson);
- DevOps & CI/CD: Knowledge of containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Kubernetes). Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform) and MLOps tools such as MLFlow, is a plus.
- **Other skills**: Excellent English communication skills (technical and general audiences).

**We value**:

- Demonstrated experience in software engineering and/or applied research, balancing robust engineering principles with a curiosity-driven approach;
- Understanding of, or strong interest in, security and privacy considerations within distributed ML systems;
- Experience or curiosity in data orchestration tools (e.g., DataHub) and an appreciation for data governance and management challenges;
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams;
- Autonomous, dependable, proactive, and a critical-thinking team player.

**Why should you join Fraunhofer Portugal**:

- _Innovative Environment_: Be part of a people-centric workplace that fosters creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. We encourage the development of new ideas and ensure that every voice is heard.
- _Multidisciplinary Teams_: Collaborate with professionals from diverse backgrounds, enhancing your learning and professional growth.
- _Professional Excellence_: Work within a culture that upholds professional standards and best practices, promoting continuous improvement and excellence in research.
- _Flexible Work Arrangements_: Benefit from flexible working hours and opportunities to work from home, supporting a healthy work-life balance;
- _Comprehensive Benefits_: Benefit from a partially funded health insurance plan, and a variety of additional perks;
- _Supportive Culture_: Join a team with an excellent spirit, where collaboration, mutual support, and team achievements are celebrated.

**Application Process**:
To Apply:

- **Observation**:_
- The research activities in the scope of this job opportunity are planned to be developed within the framework of the following projects:_
- _ACHILLES - Human-centred Machine Learning: Lighter, Clearer, Safer, with Notice No. HORIZON-CL4-2024-DATA-01-01 and Projec