Co-op Researcher – Multimodal & Voice Interaction (HCI)

Huawei Canada has an immediate co-op opening for a Researcher.

About the team:

The Huawei Human-Machine Interaction Lab unites global researchers, engineers, and designers to redefine human technology relationships through user centered, hands on research. We focus on agentic AI and multimodal interaction (voice, touch, vision, gesture) across smartphones, wearables, and emerging devices—advancing agentic workflows, multi-agent orchestration, and intuitive human-AI interfaces. By tightly integrating sensing, algorithms, and systems, our prototype driven work ships directly to products, enabling seamless task delegation and human AI collaboration at scale.

About the job:

• Build simple prototypes (applications or small services) that demonstrate voice-first multimodal interactions (e.g., voice + touch, voice + gesture) on real devices. You’ll work closely with the team to turn ideas into working demos.

• Use existing speech tools (e.g., Whisper, Vosk, or similar) to integrate features like speech recognition or text-to-speech. Perform light tuning and testing to improve responsiveness and usability.

• Work with inputs such as audio, camera, and touch to implement straightforward interaction logic (e.g., combining voice commands with simple gestures or confirmations).

• Collaborate with researchers and designers to prototype new interaction ideas (e.g., conversational interfaces, voice commands). Help translate concepts into testable demos.

• Use common tools and frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow). Learn how different tools are used for on-device vs. cloud-based solutions.

• Write clean and readable code. Run small tests (e.g., latency or usability checks) and document what you learn.

The total target annual compensation for this position ranges from $58,000 to $104,000 depending on education, experience, and demonstrated expertise.

About the ideal candidate:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, HCI, or a related field, and enrolled in a co-op program.

• Solid understanding of data structures and algorithms, including the ability to reason about time/space complexity and choose the right structure for the task.

• Strong coding skills in at least two of: Python, C++, Java, C#, Kotlin – experience writing programs of several hundred lines independently.

• Exposure to voice/speech or AI concepts (e.g., speech recognition, chatbots, or basic machine learning).

• Familiarity with at least one ML framework (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and basic model inference workflow (e.g., loading a model, running inference, post‑processing).

• Experience with at least one platform (e.g., Windows, Android, or Linux) – comfortable debugging, using command line, and managing dependencies.

• Strong problem‑solving and troubleshooting skills – able to unblock themselves on straightforward issues before asking for help.

• Genuine interest in building intelligent voice‑driven interfaces and exploring how speech integrates with other modalities.

Additional Information:

Huawei Canada is committed to a fair, inclusive, and accessible recruitment process. If you require accommodation during any stage of the hiring process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.

All applications for this position are reviewed directly by our hiring team, we do not use artificial intelligence tools to screen or select candidates.