Postdoctoral Fellow in Explainable Artificial Intelligence

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You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the job

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions. 

At the Department of Computer Science, we have a vacancy for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Explainable Artificial Intelligence focusing on uncertainty quantification for trustworthy decision-making. This position is a part of the SFI NorwAI, a research center hosted by NTNU. The work will be performed in close cooperation with our partners in the SOC and TRUST work package.

The research in this fellowship will focus on contributing to explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) by developing robust uncertainty quantification techniques. We aim to enhance model transparency, reliability, and adaptability across varied application domains, such as industry 4.0, media, and finance, by powering diverse methods – ranging from counterfactuals to distribution-aware modeling and hybrid approaches. The research will evaluate uncertainty as a foundational component in XAI, helping to better inform stakeholders on “when and how to trust model predictions? “, particularly under evolving or unfamiliar conditions. Eventually this fellowship aims to set new standards for trust and adaptability in machine learning systems, confirming they perform reliably under dynamic data environments and serve end-users with actionable, transparent insights.

Your immediate leader is the head of DART group.

Duties of the position

• Conducting research within explainable artificial intelligence focusing on uncertainty quantification for trustworthy decision-making in collaboration with members of the research group
• Work in close collaboration with research and user partners of the NorwAI research center
• Disseminate results through publications and presentations
• Contribute to the research and social environment of NorwAI and the DART research group through engaging in events and group meetings
   

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning.
  If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position. 
• You must have a professionally relevant background in Artificial Intelligence and published scientific articles at relevant conferences and journals.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

Preferred selection criteria

• Excellent programming skills, ideally open repositories showing your work
• Experience with Explainable AI research documented through publications in renown venues within the field of Artificial 
• Good written and oral English skills, basic Norwegian skills are a plus
   

Personal characteristics

• Ability to take initiative and work independently 
• A positive and professional attitude as well as being a good team-worker 
• Social adaptability and communication skills 
• Willingness to learn new skillsets
   

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues 
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
employee benefits 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK  594 500 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. 

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding. 

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application 

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

The application must include:

• CV and certificates.
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 items).
• A Research statement addressing the topic of the position.
• Name and contact information of three referees.
   

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, please attach this as well.
 
Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. 

General information 

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.  

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted. 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Kerstin Bach, email kerstin.bach@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR e-mail: hr@idi.ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.