Real world environments are often noisy, ambiguous, evolving, and subject to contamination. In turn, deploying intelligent systems in these environments often requires a probabilistic approach. Quantifying uncertainty can help the system handle the ‘messiness’ of the real world. The Amsterdam Machine Learning Lab is looking for a PhD student or a postdoctoral researcher to study principled methods for deploying probabilistic models in the wild. Examples of avenues of research include (but are not limited to): how to incorporate prior knowledge and constraints, how to learn under dynamic computational limitations, how to ensure the system is robust to data shift, and how to efficiently incorporate human oversight. Such issues are of crucial importance when building probabilistic systems in practice. The solutions will require deep engagement with both statistical methodology (e.g. Bayesian modeling) and engineering practice (e.g. probabilistic programming).

What are you going to do?

• Invent and evaluate novel methodologies for probabilistic modeling under challenging settings;
• show that these methods are useful in realistic scenarios, for instance, in decision support systems for healthcare;
• present your research by contributing to international conferences, workshops, and journals;
• actively participate in the Amsterdam Machine Learning Lab and other local research communities;
• assist in teaching activities: teaching labs and tutorials or supervising bachelor, master, and for postdocs, PhD students;
• for PhD applicants: complete a PhD thesis within the duration of four years.

What do we require?

• For PhD applicants: Master’s degree in Machine Learning, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field;
• for postdoc applicants: PhD in Machine Learning, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related field;
• experience in programming and software development. Familiarity with Python and scientific computing libraries (e.g. NumPy, Stan, TensorFlow, PyTorch) is preferred;
• enthusiasm for the scientific process: formulating and conducting experiments, data collection and analysis, disseminating findings via writing and oral presentations;
• ability to cooperate and work effectively within a team;
• fluency in English, both written and spoken.

Our offer

For a PhD position:
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.
The salary will be €2,395 to €3,061 (scale P) gross per month, based on a full-time contract of 38 hours a week.

For a postdoc position:
A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 12 months. After positive evaluation, the contract will be extended with 24 months. The salary, depending on relevant experience before the beginning of the employment contract, will be €2,790 to €4,402 (scale 10) gross per month, based on a full-time contract of 38 hours a week.

The salary 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? Then find out more about working at the Faculty of Science.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

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.

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.