The Center for Humans and Machines (CHM) at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development in Berlin seeks Applicants as
Student Research Assistant for AI Systems & Infrastructure Support
15-20 hours/week

The Center for Humans and Machines (CHM) at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development in Berlin conducts interdisciplinary science to understand, anticipate, and shape major disruptions from digital media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the way we think, learn, work, play, cooperate, and govern. Our goal is to understand how machines are shaping human society today and how they may continue to shape it in the future. The Center is comprised of an interdisciplinary, international, and diverse group of scholars, and a science support team.

To complement this team, we are looking for a motivated Student Research Assistant who is excited about working at the intersection of computer science and social sciences. Currently, we are looking for the following Student Research Assistant profile:

Main Tasks
Contribute to long-term research infrastructure projects such as the Moral Machine, ensuring smooth integration and operation
Assist with the development of new skills and demos for the Furhat
robot, supporting the advancement of human-AI interaction projects
Provide DevOps support, including the setup and maintenance of CI/CD pipelines, deployment workflows, and integration with internal systems
Work with oTree to support and develop experimental environments, integrating them with other research tools and infrastructure
Monitor and maintain internal services and tools used by the research team, ensuring their stability and performance
Manage and maintain code repositories and collaboration workflows using GitLab
Collaborate on the continuous improvement of internal documentation, ensuring that knowledge and workflows are properly recorded and easily accessible to the team

• Currently enrolled in a program at a German university related to computer science, physics, or other relevant fields
• A strong interest in the intersection of computer science and social sciences, particularly in the field of human-AI interaction
• Knowledge of at least one programming language (e.g., Python, Java, or JavaScript) and a willingness to learn more
• Familiarity with or a willingness to learn tools such as oTree for experimental design, GitLab for version control and collaboration, and LLMs (Large Language Models) for advanced AI applications
• Experience with or an eagerness to learn DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and deployment workflows
• Curiosity and a proactive attitude toward learning and exploring new technologies, tools, and concepts
• Willingness to work at least 15 hours per week, preferably 20 hours, with regular in-person attendance at the institute in Berlin
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

• Pushing the frontier of the scientific understanding of human-AI interaction
• Get first hand experience of the scientific process, from idea generation over experimental design to data collection and analysis
• Close collaboration with CHM researchers
• Comprehensive onboarding and time to learn new skills in an agile environment
• Possibility to contribute and realize your own ideas
• The duration of the position is for at least 6 months and is coupled with your proof of enrollment and can be extended
• Salary: 15,02€ / hour (for master's students) and 13,08€ / hour (for Bachelor's students)

The Max Planck Society strives for gender and diversity equality. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.

Application deadline: May 15, 2025
Please apply, including a CV without a photo and your latest transcript, via our career site on this page.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants can expect to hear from the hiring team within two weeks. We are looking to fill this position at the earliest possible time (June or July 2025).

Data protection
The data protection declaration for the processing of personal data within the scope of your application can be found here:
https://www.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/1589569/en_infos_bewerbung.pdf