Job Offers

The department of Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence at Tilburg University is looking for an enthusiastic colleague for a PhD position in the context of the MODUS research project funded by the German research foundation (DFG). We are looking for a highly motivated person that is interested in research on Data Science at the intersection of Data Mining, Network Analysis, and Big Data.

Theme: Model-based Anomaly Analytics in Ubiquitous and Social Interaction Networks (MODUS)
The goal of the MODUS project is to develop methods and approaches for detecting and analyzing anomalous patterns ("anomalies") in ubiquitous and social interaction networks. Examples of applications are investigations of the spread of information, discovering events or unusual topics in heterogeneous network data, and identification of especially interesting or outstanding behavior of actors within networks.  Methods for anomaly detection and the formalization of reference models will be investigated and evaluated on synthetic and real-world data. The overall goal of the project is to improve the accuracy of anomaly detection and to increase the transparency of the computational anomaly-detection methods.

Profile & Tasks
The successful candidate is expected
•    To perform scientific research in the domain of data science as described above, at the intersection of
data mining, network analysis, and big data;
•    To publish and present results at (international) venues & conferences;
•    To publish results in high quality scientific journals;
The publications form the basis of the candidate’s PhD thesis.

Job qualifications
Candidates should:
•    Have an MSc in Data Science, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Statistics, or a related discipline;
•    Have a strong interest in data science and network research;
•    Have excellent programming skills (e.g., in Python, R, Java) and be highly motivated;
•    Be rigorous and disciplined when developing algorithms and software according to high quality standards;
•    Have good technical understanding of the statistical models used in data science and social network analysis;
•    Be interested in interdisciplinary collaboration;
•    Be a fast learner, autonomous and creative, show dedication and be hard working;
•    Possess good communication capabilities and be an efficient team worker;
•    Have good academic writing and presentation skills.
•    Be fluent in English, both spoken and written.

School and department
As of January 2018, the School of Humanities will become the School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. One of its departments, Cognitive Science & Artificial Intelligence, emphasizes innovative cutting-edge research at the nexus of cognitive science and artificial intelligence. It is affiliated with the Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (www.jads.nl). Researchers in the Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence track have access to computer clusters, experimental lab facilities, and the virtual and mixed reality DAF Technology Lab and its sensing technologies. Moreover, researchers play an important role in Mind Labs (www.mind-labs.eu), an initiative that fosters collaborations between knowledge institutions and corporations in the field of interactive technologies and behavior.

Information
For more information on this position, please contact the principal investigator of the MODUS project:
Asst. Prof. Dr. habil. Martin Atzmueller (m.atzmuller@uvt.nl, +31134664736).


What we offer
•    A full-time position
•    The selected candidate will start with a contract for one year, concluded by an evaluation. Upon a positive outcome of the first-year evaluation, the candidate will be offered an employment contract for the remaining three years.
•    The PhD candidate will be ranked in the Dutch university job ranking system (UFO) as a PhD-student (promovendus) with a starting fulltime salary of € 2.222 gross per month in the first year, increasing up to € 2.840 the fourth year.
•    The selected candidate is expected to have written a PhD thesis, which may be based on articles, by the end of the contract;
•    A holiday allowance of 8% and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3% (annually);
•    Researchers from outside the Netherlands may qualify for a temporary tax-free allowance equal to 30% of their taxable salary. The University will apply for such an allowance on their behalf;
•    The Faculty will provide assistance in finding suitable accommodation (for foreign employees);
•    Tilburg University is rated among the top Dutch employers and offers very good fringe benefits (it is one of the best non-profit employers in the Netherlands), also including excellent technical infrastructure, savings schemes and excellent sport facilities. The collective labor agreement of Tilburg University applies.

Applications
Applications should include:
•    Cover letter,
•    Detailed Curriculum Vitae,
•    Copy of the university marks (grade list),
•    Sample writing (e.g. a student paper, Master thesis or article),
•    Two references.

Applications should be sent before December 6, 2017. The only way to apply is online by following this link: http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/about-tilburg-university/working-at/wp/
Interviews are expected to be held soon after the deadline.

Starting date of the position is as soon as possible, preferably by January 1, 2018.