Researcher (Senior) – Control Technologies for Magnetic Storage

The Future Storage systems Lab at Huawei Research Center in Zurich is looking for a Researcher to push the frontier of future storage systems. You will conduct cutting-edge research on control theory, developing efficient algorithms which run on-device, and making them predictable and reliable enough to be trusted in a product. To meet needs of hyperscalers in the big data era, cost-effective storage solutions are required. This is achieved using a tiered storage: Solid-state drives are reserved for performance-critical, frequently accessed data. Hard disk drives (HDD) cost roughly about 3-5× less than SSD, making them the right choice for large, less frequently accessed data. For long-term archive and backup, LTO tape costs 10-20× cheaper than SSD and 3-4× cheaper than HDD, while also providing offline, air-gapped protection and an archival life of up to 30 years.

Your research will be primarily applied to magnetic storage devices. These devices combine physics, signal processing and mechatronics. From a control perspective, they must deliver precise and accurate positioning despite operating in a disturbance-rich and noisy environment. Your role will be to investigate, from a control theory perspective, which technologies can be used to meet the ever-growing performance requirement of magnetic storage devices, and your work will help shape next-generation Huawei warm and cold data storage products. This is a role for someone who wants to publish at top venues and see their research ship.

Responsibilities

• Conduct original research aimed at improving magnetic storage devices including, but not limited to, system identification & model validation, state estimation and controller synthesis.
• Transfer research results into Huawei products in close collaboration with product, hardware, and software engineering teams.
• Publish at leading conferences and journals and contribute to the research community.
• Mentor interns and junior researchers, and collaborate with academic partners in Switzerland and abroad.

Requirements

• PhD (or equivalent research experience) in Control Theory, Robotics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• Experience with advanced feedback and feedforward control methods.
• Experience with nonlinear state estimation.
• Curiosity, independence, and the drive to turn research into real-world impact.

Nice to have

• Experience with rapid prototyping and dealing with actual hardware (integrating sensors, troubleshooting, etc).
• Experience with developing digital twins.
• Experience with machine learning frameworks combining neural networks and control theory.

Why join us

• Collaborate with world-class scientists and engineers in an open, curiosity-driven environment;
• Access to state-of-art technology and tools;
• Opportunities for professional growth and development;
• Competitive salary and a high quality of life in Zurich, at the centre of Europe;
• Last but certainly not least: be part of innovative projects that make a difference.