Are you interested in making contributions to trustworthy AI-based systems and in understanding and uncovering policy implications of such systems?

We are seeking a postdoc to join our team, someone who is keen to contribute to the development of trustworthy machine learning systems and to translating algorithmic advances and challenges in machine learning for policy makers.

What are you going to do?
This one-year position is part of the ten-year ROBUST program, an initiative of ICAI, the national Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence. The position is based in Amsterdam, with leading experts Roel Dobbe (Delft University of Technology) and Maarten de Rijke (University of Amsterdam) as supervisors. You will have access to a local and national ecosystem that provides opportunities for collaboration around the research labs that make up ICAI. Your work can be executed in close relation to the establishment of new policy initiatives to guide the development and governance of AI and algorithmic systems.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Conducting independent research in trustworthy AI-based systems in one of the ROBUST labs;
• Taking the lead in the ROBUST efforts to translate developments in trustworthy AI-based technology into actionable policy implications, and for policy makers
• Actively contributing to the supervision of PhD students;
• Assisting in teaching courses in the bachelor and master programs and supervising Bachelor and Master theses.

What do you have to offer?

Your experience and profile:

• PhD in artificial intelligence;
• An excellent publication record in AI, with publications reporting on advances in AI technology and policy, in venues such as FAccT, AIES, NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, SIGIR, TheWebConf, WSDM, ACL, EMNLP, AAAI, IJCAI-ECAI;
• Demonstration of open science output, such as open-source code and/or data;
• Substantial knowledge of machine learning;
• Demonstration of ability to contribute to interdisciplinary cooperation and multidisciplinary development, especially at the interface of technology and policy;
• Professional command of English and the willingness to learn Dutch

The ideal candidate has a mixed profile, with an emphasis on AI technology development and AI/technology policy or affinity in a relevant application domain. Even if your background does not fit perfectly, we encourage you to apply: we value diverse perspectives on both machine learning and policy development.

Our offer
We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of 12 months. The preferred starting date is as soon as possible.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,226 to € 5,090 (scale 10). UvA additionally offers an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%. The UFO profile Researcher 4 is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• Multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• Multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• Multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• Partly paid parental leave;
• The possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• A pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• The possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• Help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

About us
The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 42,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Science (FNWI) has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 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 (IvI) 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 research of the Information Retrieval Lab Amsterdam (IRLab) focuses on information retrieval: technology to connect people to information. We work on search engines, on recommender systems, and on conversational assistants. There is a heavy emphasis on data-driven methods, for understanding content, for analyzing and predicting user behavior, and for make sense of context. We combine fundamental, experimental, and applied research, and we do so by using a broad range of data: text, images, structured information. We are involved in many projects with other groups, both within and outside academia. Our research is funded by NWO, KNAW, the EU and through a range of public-private partnerships. We are strong believers of pursuing great science with great societal impact, and value an entrepreneurial spirit.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• E: prof.dr. Maarten de Rijke, m.derijke@uva.nl

T: +31 651 938 523

Job application
If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the button below. We accept applications until and including 10 June 2024.

Applications should include the following information (all files apart from your CV should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;
• a list of publications;
• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

Please make sure to provide ALL requested documents mentioned above.
You can use the CV field to upload your resume as a separate pdf document. Use the Cover Letter field to upload the other requested documents, including the motivation letter, as one single pdf file.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure.
(for details: National knowledge security guidelines).

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered. Please don’t send any applications by email.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize 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.

If you encounter Error GBB451/ GBC451, please try using a VPN connection when outside of the European Union. Please reach out directly to our HR Department directly. They will gladly help you continue your application.

No agencies please.