18 August 2026 | Tübingen

Student Assistant for Nonverbal Interpersonal Communication Exploration (NICE) Toolbox

The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems is looking for a Student Assistant.

The Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) conducts research to understand the principles of perception, action, and learning in natural and artificial systems that successfully interact with complex environments.

The Optics and Sensing Laboratory at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen has an open position for a student assistant (HiWi) to support the ongoing research and development activities related to NICE Toolbox.

They are supporting the development of highly realistic human and animal avatars for use in research, film, virtual reality, biology and medicine. Using unique 3D & 4D capture facilities, machine learning, computer vision and advanced graphics, they are modeling humans and animals shape and behavior.

About the project:

In the NICE Toolbox project, they build software for non computer scientists to support the exploration of non-verbal communication by detecting visual movements and behaviors of humans in videos. The aim is to foster better understanding of social interactions and communication patterns between people.

Your tasks:

Support the integration and implementation of new computer vision algorithms into the NICE Toolbox.
Assist with testing, evaluation, and optimization of implemented computer vision methods.
Provide basic user support for researchers using the NICE Toolbox and assist in maintaining and improving user documentation.
Optional: Support data captures - the technical setup of a multi-camera system, organization and coordination of project participants, as well as data processing.
Optional: Assist in conduct studies for the evaluation of nonverbal behavior of virtual avatars using the NICE Toolbox.

Duration:

Duration of minimum 12 months, minimum of 12 hrs/week.

Requirements:

Background in machine learning, computer vision, computer science, or a related field.
Good programming skills in Python and experience with installing packages/software on Ubuntu/Windows.
Natural team player and a detail-oriented person, capable of methodically solving problems, passion for technology with a research mindset.
Good oral and written communication skills in English.

Good to have:

Experience in software development, including version control (e.g., Git), test-driven development, and good software engineering practices such as code review, debugging, and documentation.
Experience in machine learning and computer vision frameworks, such as pytorch, opencv, or scikit-learn.
Experience in computational psychology or interdisciplinary collaboration.
Basic knowledge of cameras, interest in multi-camera data captures.

The offer:

They offer good supervision and learning opportunities in machine learning, computer vision, and software development.
Working in a multidisciplinary collaborative project at MPI for Intelligent Systems (Tübingen).
An open-minded and motivating working environment.
Cutting-edge technologies related to computer vision and multi-sensor system.
Students without a Bachelor’s degree will earn €15,00 per hour. Students holding a Bachelor’s degree will be paid €15,61 per hour. Contracts are given per semester.

Contact and application:

To apply, please submit

1-2 page CV
1 page answering the following questions:

o Which aspects of this job offer interest you most, and how do your skills and experience make you a strong fit for this position?

o How would you integrate a new computer vision algorithm into a complex project such as the NICE Toolbox? What challenges might arise (e.g., dependency conflicts, integration with existing pipelines, data format compatibility), and how would you address them? Please provide concrete ideas or examples.

o As a footnote, briefly describe how AI was used in answering the questions and how you verified the AI output.

A link to your GitHub account or some example codes that demonstrate your programming skills.
References letters (or names of referees)

Please prepare these documents in English and upload them as one PDF file to the application portal.

Only complete applications can be considered, including the one page answer. The position will be open until filled.

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. The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

Any questions regarding the position should be forwarded to Aleksandr Evgrashin (aleksandr.evgrashin@tuebingen.mpg.de), Senya Polikovsky (senya@tue.mpg.de) and Keiko Kitagawa (keiko.kitagawa@tuebingen.mpg.de).

If you prefer to send a hard copy application, please send it to: Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, OSLab, Keiko Kitagawa, Max-Planck-Ring 4, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.

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. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in its workforce in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.