Closing date: 15 October 2019
Level of education: PhD
Hours: 38 hours per week
Salary indication: €3,637 to €6,738 gross per month

The UvA’s Faculty of Science is launching a major recruitment campaign called ‘Connecting Science’ in the areas of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Our ambition is to attract top talent from all over the world to a large number of newly created faculty positions in a wide range of exciting scientific directions. We offer a stimulating environment and excellent conditions for research, tightly connected to challenging educational programmes.

We are looking for ambitious and motivated scientists to connect different scientific disciplines. Our goal is to have a maximal impact on science and society.

What are you going to do?

The Informatics Institute is seeking a tenure track assistant professor focused on technological solutions regarding fairness, accountability, confidentiality, transparency, or safety of algorithmic systems.

Algorithmic systems are being adopted in a growing number of contexts, fueled by machine learning, large volumes of data, and advances in compute power. These systems shape human experience and make or inform decisions. Because algorithms increasingly have significant impact on individuals and groups of people it is imperative that they are designed in a responsible way. How can we avoid discrimination by relying on algorithmic decisions? How can we make sure that our privacy is guaranteed? How can we make algorithmic decisions reliable and understandable?

We are looking for a scientist with a strong interest in these topics, focused on technological solutions regarding fairness, accountability, confidentiality, transparency or safety of algorithmic systems. We strongly encourage applications coming from a unique perspective. The broad topic of this position is of interest to a large number of teams within the Informatics Institute, including teams that work on information retrieval, machine learning and AI more generally. Please tell us where you see the best fit between your background and agenda with the teams in the institute.

What do we require?

• A PhD degree in Computer Science or a closely related field;
• excellent research skills, evidenced by a track record of publications in renowned international conferences and journals, and contributed and/or invited talks at international conferences/workshops;
• a strong background, experience and expertise in research in the foundations of Artificial Intelligence, Information Retrieval or Machine learning;
• proven experience in developing and evaluating algorithms;
• proven experience in applying for research funding;
• teaching experience at university level and demonstrable didactic abilities;
• preferably some experience with the (co-)supervision of BSc, MSc and/or PhD students;
• contribution to outreach in engaging with the media as well as applying the state of the art research tools to applications in society (e.g. UvA spinoffs) are valued;
• (the ability to develop) the management skills required for general academic administration, organisational and coordination tasks;
• the ability to attract external funding;
• excellent communication and social skills;
• good command of English and willingness to learn the Dutch language.

International research experience is preferred as is a highly collaborative and enthusiastic approach. This profile is an indication of what we are looking for, not a strict requirement. Even if you do not have experience in some of the items above, please do apply.

Our offer

We offer you a tenure-track agreement for five years (which is part of a six-year temporary appointment). At the start, we will draw up an agreement with you, specifying the tenure-track requirements for research, teaching and management tasks that need to be fulfilled in order to assess progress after three years and after five years. The requirements in this agreement are negotiable and depend on your experience and scientific profile. Following a positive assessment after five years the appointment will become permanent.

Start dates are negotiable. The positions will be filled at the level of Assistant or Associate professor, depending on qualifications. The starting salary will be in accordance with university regulations for academic personnel, and depending on experience and qualifications. It will range from a minimum of €3.637 gross per month up to a maximum of €6.738 gross per month (salary scale 11-14) based on full-time employment.

This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

Questions?

Do you have questions about this vacancy? Or do you want to know more about our organisation? Please contact:

• Prof. Max Welling T:+31 (0)20 525 8256 or
• Prof. Maarten de Rijke T: +31 (0)20 525 5358

About the Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

About the Informatics Institute

The mission of the Informatics Institute is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. The main research themes are Artificial Intelligence, Computational Science and Systems and Network Engineering. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.

The Amsterdam Machine Learning Lab (AMLab) conducts research in the area of large scale modelling of complex data sources. This includes the development of new methods for probabilistic graphical models and non-parametric Bayesian models, the development of faster (approximate) inference and learning methods, deep learning, causal inference, reinforcement learning and multi-agent systems and the application of all of the above to large scale data domains in science and industry ('Big Data problems').

Research conducted by the Information and Language Processing Systems group (ILPS) is aimed at building ever more intelligent technology to connect people to information. The team pushes the frontiers of search engines, recommender systems and digital assistants. By collaborating with a large number of organizations inside and outside academia, the team seeks to combine great science with great impact. And with members from over a dozen countries around the world, the team also investigates the influence of the technology they develop on society.

Job application

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

You may send in your application no later than 15 October 2019 using the button below. Please upload the following information in a single PDF file:

• a letter of motivation (1 page maximum);
• a curriculum vitae, including list of publications and teaching track record;
• a research statement (2 pages maximum);
• a teaching statement (1 page maximum);
• a list of three references from different institutes.

No agencies please