Postdoctoral Researcher or Doctoral Student in Machine

Learning Software Systems Research

The University of Helsinki (https://www.helsinki.fi/en) is an international scientific community of 40,000
students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities in Europe and
ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world.

The Department of Computer Science (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/computer-science), which is part of the

Faculty of Science, is a leading Computer Science research and teaching unit in Finland. The research
themes of the Department cover machine learning and algorithms, computer networks and distributed
systems, software systems and bioinformatics.

The Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki invites applications for a

Postdoctoral Researcher or Doctoral Student in Machine Learning Software Systems Research

to work on tools and methodologies for the software engineering of machine learning systems. To
ensure that machine learning systems work for real, new ways are needed to ensure their correct and
efficient operation as well as their smooth development and maintenance. At the moment we are running
or about to start multiple European and national projects focusing on testing of AI systems, MLOps, and
ML engineering.

The aim of our empirical and experimental approach is to come up with new and improved solutions for
AI system testing, which can be applied in practice. The candidate is expected to analyze, measure, and
model alternative ways to test different kind of machine learning systems and create new ideas and
insights based on those. This includes implementing research prototypes to try out ideas and to collect
and analyze data. Documenting the results in scientific papers is naturally important.

In addition to research, the Postdoctoral Researcher is expected to contribute to other common

academic tasks such as teaching, generation of new research ideas, and writing grant proposals.

The position is full-time and fixed-term for ca. 2 years for Postdoctoral Researcher and ca. 3 years for
Doctoral Student to begin with. A contract extension beyond that is a possibility, albeit not guaranteed.
The starting date is negotiable, preferably by January-February 2021.

Requirements

Applicants for the Postdoctoral Researcher position are expected to have a PhD degree in a relevant

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field (e.g. computer science, data science, software engineering). Experience with software systems,
large-scale software engineering, and machine learning is advantageous. Competence to write both
research or analysis software and high-quality scientific papers is necessary.

Applicants for the Doctoral Student position are expected to hold an MSc in Computer or Data Science
with excellent grades. Prior experience with machine learning and/or with software engineering is
necessary. Competence to develop software to evaluate and analyze research ideas is mandatory.
Applicants who do not currently hold a doctoral student status in the Doctoral Programme in Computer
Science (DoCS) at the University of Helsinki are also eligible to apply but in the event of hiring they are
expected to acquire the status during the standard 6-month probationary period. More information on
applying for a doctoral study right in the DoCS programme can be found here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/
research/doctoral-education/doctoral-schools-and-programmes/doctoral-school-in-natural-sciences/
doctoral-programme-in-computer-science.

In both positions, curiosity, inventiveness, excitement to new learning, ability for independent work, and
strong motivation to turn research findings into academic papers are key characteristics. The detailed
focus of the work can be tailored based on the prior competence of the applicant.

Salary and benefits

The salary will be in accordance with the University salary system (for teaching and research personnel,
starting level 5 for a Postdoctoral Researcher level 2 for a Doctoral Student). In addition, the appointee
will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary will be
approximately 3400–3800 €/month for a Postdoctoral Researcher and 2300–2500 €/month for a Doctoral
Student.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health
care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The
International Staff Services office (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university) assists
employees from abroad with their transition to work and live in Finland.

How to apply

Applications for the Postdoctoral researcher position should include (1) a CV with a list of publications,
(2) contact details for two references, (3) a brief description of research experience (1–2 pages) with
clear indication on the motivation to apply for this position, (4) a copy of a PhD degree certificate.

Applications for the Doctoral Student position should include (1) a CV (with possible list of publications
included), (2) a copy of your transcript records (the courses completed during your MSc program), (3)

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contact details of two references (e.g. MSc thesis or internship supervisor), (4) and a letter (maximum 1
page) with a description of your research experience (if any) and interests and why you would be a
suitable candidate for the project.

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the Apply
for the position button below.

The deadline for applications is November 5, 2020.

Additional information

For more information on the position, please contact Professor Jukka K Nurminen (jukka.k.
nurminen@helsinki.fi) or Professor Tommi Mikkonen (tommi.mikkonen@helsinki.fi).

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