The University of Amsterdam (UvA) and TomTom are opening a new research lab called 'ATLAS Lab' consisting of one Tenure Track Assistant professor and five PhD students. The focus of the new lab will be on developing advanced, highly accurate and safe maps for automated vehicles (HD maps), using Artificial Intelligence. These HD maps include detailed geometric and semantic representations of elements in a road network, such as lane dividers, traffic signs, traffic lights, junctions, etc. The ATLAS Lab is a research collaboration between UvA and TomTom, Amsterdam, and is part of ICAI, the national Innovation Centre for AI, based in the Amsterdam Science Park.

For our new lab, we are seeking a Tenure Track Assistant professor in the field of computer vision and deep learning. Topics include representation and transfer learning for object detection and segmentation within a diverse set of learning paradigms (e.g. weakly/semi/self supervised), and quantifying uncertainty. Sensor data is assumed to be multi-modal and includes camera, LiDAR, and positional sensors. This tenure track position aims for visionary developments and exploration in the context of automatic interpretation and scene understanding for HD map creation.

What are you going to do?

You will be employed as the manager of the Atlas Lab and will be responsible for daily activities in close cooperation with the directors prof. Gevers and prof. Snoek and the PhD students on the following projects:

1. Cross-sensor transfer learning,
2. Few-shot tiny object detection,
3. Structured segmentation,
4. Sparse data representation for point clouds segmentation, and
5. Point cloud based 3D object detection.

You are going to carry out AI research in association with the five projects mentioned above, as part of the Atlas lab at the University of Amsterdam. There will be regular visits to and interactions with the researchers at TomTom.

In terms of teaching, you are expected to contribute to strengthening the curriculum in computer vision and deep learning of the Bachelor and Master AI and related programs such as the bachelor and master Information Systems. The total teaching load will be around 30%. You should have a broad interest in computer vision which means that you must be able to teach a wide variety of AI and CV courses in both BSc and MSc

Your tasks will be to:

• develop new deep learning methods within the context of the five research projects;
• function as the Lab manager, responsible for daily activities in close cooperation with the directors;
• collaborate with the PhD students within the Atlas Lab and researchers of TomTom;
• regularly present intermediate research results at international conferences and workshops and publish them in proceedings and journals;
• co-organize relevant workshops at conferences;
• assist in relevant teaching activities.

• An MSc degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or Electronics (or related
• A PhD in a relevant discipline (Computer Science, AI, Physics, Mathematics) and a proven record of high quality and diverse academic teaching, preferably at the Bachelor's-, Master's- and PhD-levels;
• a solid publication record in fields related to computer vision or deep learning, including internationally peer reviewed journals and/or books published by internationally recognized press;
• management skills required for general academic administration, organisation and coordination tasks;
• demonstrated ability to promote outstanding and innovative research and foster research collaborations (with faculty, postdoctoral researchers and PhD candidates); demonstrated or academic leadership;
• you excel in teaching and have a clear vision on education;
• in possession of the Dutch Basic Teaching Qualification (or foreign equivalent), or willingness to acquire such a qualification within two years.

Our offer

We offer a contract for 38 hours per week, preferably starting on 1 June 2020.

The type of contract is negotiable and depends on experience and scientific profile of the selected candidate. A tenure track is an option, as is a faculty position after positive evaluations. The committee will make an offer pending your preferences and your experience and track record.

The full-time gross monthly salary of the assistant professor position (UD 2/UD 1) will range from €3,637 to €5,656 (salary scale 11-12), depending on qualifications and on the number of years of professional experience. The annual salary will be increased by an 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 – Informatics Institute

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 Atlas Lab is embedded in the Intelligent Sensory Information Systems and Computer Vision Groups, two groups within the Informatics Institute working on visual recognition and retrieval. Each project will be done in collaboration with experts from TomTom. The lab will be part of the Innovation Center for Artificial Intelligence, a Netherlands initiative focused on joint technology development between academia, industry and government in the area of artificial intelligence.