A fully funded PhD position is available in the Software Technology research group at Utrecht University, Department of Information and Computing Sciences, to work in the area of automatic workflow composition and computational science applications. Generally, the work is about bringing together modern software engineering technniques with the work on scientific questions. More specifically, it involves topics such as model-driven development, service-oriented computing, automatic program composition techniques, semantic domain modelling, ontologies, formal specification and controlled natural language, as well as applications in different scientific disciplines, such as bioinformatics and other life sciences, earth and geo sciences, but also business analytics and econometry.

We are looking for an enthusiastic candidate with a strong motivation to work in the area described above and to collaborate with researchers from other disciplines. An inquisitive mindset, self-reliance, and flexibility are expected. The position requires the ability to work both independently and as a team member, as well as good organizational, social and communication skills. Besides research, the successful candidate will be expected to help supervising Bachelor/Master students and assist teaching courses.

The field of work provides different possiblities for PhD thesis projects, for example concerning algorithms and techniques for automatic workflow composition, knowledge mining and semantic domain modelling, or also teaching and outreach in the field of computational science.

The successful candidate will have (essential requirements):

• a (soon to be completed) Master’s degree in Computer Science or another relevant discipline, and a demonstrable affinity with the scope of the research described above;
• programming expertise and development experience (preferably with Java);
• an outstanding record of undergraduate and Master's degree work;
• an excellent command of English, both written and orally;
• excellent academic writing and presentation skills.

• Software Engineering
• Model-Driven Development
• Process and Workflow Modelling
• Formal Methods
• Logics
• SAT solving
• Program Synthesis
• AI Planning
• Functional Programming
• Service-Orientation, in particular Service-Oriented Computing
• Semantic Web Technology (Ontologies, Reasoning)
• Bioinformatics, Geoinformatics, or other applied computer science disciplines
• Scientific Computing

Candidates of all nationalities may apply. Women are especially encouraged to apply as the university is striving for a more even gender balance in its employees.

The successful candidate will be offered a full-time (38 hours per week) PhD position for four years. Salary starts at €2,222 and increases to €2,840 gross per month in the fourth year of the appointment. Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The city of Utrecht is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands, with a charming old center and an internationally oriented culture that is strongly influenced by its century-old university. Utrecht city has been consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the Netherlands.

The Faculty of Science consists of six Departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information and Computing Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Chemistry and Mathematics. The Faculty is home to 5,600 students and nearly 1500 staff and is internationally renowned for the quality of its research. The Faculty's academic programmes reflect developments in today's society. 

Read the overall impression 2016 of the Faculty of Science.

The Department of Information and Computing Sciences is nationally and internationally renowned for its research in computer science and information science. The research of the Department is grouped into four divisions: Software Systems, Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Worlds and Interaction Technology.

The Department offers Bachelor Programmes in Computer Science and Information Science, and four English-language research Master Programmes in Artificial Intelligence, Business Informatics, Computing Science, and Game and Media Technology. High enrolment figures and good student ratings make the education very successful.