PhD Position on Requirements Engineering and Spec-Driven Development

Join our world-leading research lab in Requirements Engineering, part of the Software Production group, as a PhD candidate. We seek a PhD candidate who is eager to advance the future of software engineering and contribute to high-impact, internationally visible work while collaborating with an approachable and highly experienced research team. You will explore cutting-edge topics in specification-driven development, large language models, and AI-assisted software engineering.

Your job
As a PhD candidate within this project, you will conduct research at the forefront of GenAI-assisted software engineering. We envision the following tasks for you:

• Analyzing the interplay between software specifications and generative AI-based code generation.
• Designing and evaluating methods for the automated creation of high-quality specifications.
• Exploring ways to transform elicited requirements into precise specifications for generative AI.
• Experimenting with tuning and adapting large language models for spec-driven development.
• Validating your ideas through empirical studies, prototypes, and real-world data.

Why is this challenging and meaningful? You will work at the frontier of requirements engineering and LLM-based software development, shape how future developers interact with AI systems and help define what “good specifications” mean in an era of automated code generation.

You will work with a diverse, collaborative, and supportive research team that values openness, creativity, and scientific rigor. This position offers unique opportunities for your growth and development. During your PhD, you will gain deep expertise in Generative AI, specification engineering, and empirical software analysis. You will also publish in top venues, collaborate with leading researchers and develop your own research line within a supportive, highly visible group.

You are motivated to contribute to our research and eager to join our group. You are equipped with a critical mindset and recognise yourself in the following qualifications:

• a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Information Science or related field;
• interest in conducting research in the field of Software Engineering;
• demonstrated collaboration and communication skills with an independent outlook in defining and solving research problems;
• demonstrated programming skills (Python is a plus);
• proficiency in English, both spoken and written.

• a position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon successful assessment in the first 18 months;
• a gross monthly salary between € 3.059 and €3.881 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit 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 strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

Working at the Faculty of Science means bringing together inspiring people across disciplines and with a variety of perspectives and backgrounds. The Faculty has six departments: Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Information & Computing Sciences, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together, we work on excellent research and inspiring education. We do so, driven by curiosity and supported by outstanding infrastructure. Visit us on LinkedIn and discover how you can become part of our community.

The Department of Information and Computing Sciences (ICS) is nationally and internationally renowned for its fundamental and applied research in computer science and information science. In our constantly changing (digital) society, we are continually looking for new, realistic ways to push the boundaries of both science and societal application. We contribute to innovative information technologies through the development and application of new concepts, theories, algorithms, and software methods. With our expertise, we nourish a wide range of interdisciplinary and societal collaboration initiatives. Our Department provides a dynamic work environment. Our approach is characterized by a connected, open, and can-do spirit that stimulates personal initiative and curiosity. You will be encouraged to take ownership and create value while sharing your knowledge both internally and across the wider (global) community. Every day we aim to live up to this mission because we believe it is the only way to make the breakthroughs that will help solve the challenges facing the world.

The Requirements Engineering Lab is part of the Software Production Group, a leading research environment known for its strong visibility in the software engineering community. Our team conducts rigorous empirical studies, leverages large language models to analyze and improve software development processes, and builds and evaluates innovative prototypes that push the boundaries of requirements engineering practice. We combine methodological rigor with technical depth, creating an intellectually vibrant setting for high-impact research. Our group brings together researchers from many backgrounds, fostering an open, supportive, and intellectually lively environment, where we work hard, learn from each other, and genuinely enjoy what we do.