Assistant Professor in AI-driven Multimedia Creation (0.8 - 1.0 FTE)

Job description

We are searching for an Assistant Professor in AI-driven Multimedia Creation to join our Multimedia group. Our culture is characterized by a connected, open, and can-do spirit that stimulates personal initiative and curiosity. You will take ownership and create value while sharing your knowledge both internally and across the wider (global) community. If you are excited to participate and collaborate in shaping our group, we invite you to apply.

You have expertise in AI-driven generation and creation of multimedia content, for example images, music, game levels, scenes (PCG), animations or videos, with techniques such as generative machine learning or text to assets generation. It is beneficial if you have experience in the combination with human-centered aspects, such as how content is experienced, or involving humans in the authoring. Your research has a solid methodological foundation and is empirically validated. To support your research, we have technical support available as well as multiple labs, including a motion capture and virtual reality lab, human-centered computing lab, and prototyping lab.

You will join a social, international group with 20+ staff members and PhD candidates, embedded in a department with over 200 employees. To develop new research collaborations and application areas, you will actively seek internal and external (interdisciplinary) collaborations and acquire funding for research. You are encouraged to publish in renowned scientific journals, newspapers, and appear in other media (e.g., radio). You will teach courses in our BSc and MSc programmes, and supervise students and PhD candidates.

Please note that there are currently three Assistant Professor vacancies within our Interaction division (Department of Information and Computing Sciences). We are simultaneously looking for two Assistant Professors in Human-centered Computing (0.8 - 1.0 FTE). More information about these positions can be found on our website.

Qualifications

We are looking for a new colleague to complement our team at an academic as well as at a personal level. You are a team player with a proven commitment and talent for research. You fit well with the position’s profile as described above and meet the following qualifications:

• a PhD degree, or nearly finished, in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Computer Interaction, Engineering or a related field;
• experience with Multimedia research methods and techniques;
• demonstrated prototyping, computational modeling and/or programming skills;
• a vision on future research directions in your own area of expertise;
• publications with impact in international conferences and journals;
• experience with, or readiness to, supervise PhD projects;
• experience with and enthusiasm for teaching, innovative teaching methods, and student supervision;
• proficient in English, both written and spoken.

Offer

We offer you: 

• An appointment as Assistant Professor, starting with a fixed-term contract. Following a positive evaluation after 18 months, this will be converted into a permanent contract.
• A gross salary – depending on previous qualifications and experience - ranging between €3,974 and €6,181 per month for full-time employment (scales 11-12 according to the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) Dutch Universities).
• 8% holiday bonus and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus.
• A pension scheme, partially paid parental leave, and flexible employment conditions based on the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities.
• Special perks include a PhD candidate position funded by the Department in order to further build up your research, support for traveling to conferences, and various educational and development programmes offered by our University.

In addition to the employment conditions from the CAO for Dutch Universities, Utrecht University has a number of its own arrangements. These include agreements on professional development, leave arrangements and sports. We also give you the opportunity to expand your terms of employment through the Employment Conditions Selection Model. This is how we encourage you to grow. For more information, please visit working at Utrecht University.

About the organisation

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 societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

At the Faculty of Science, there are 6 departments to make a fundamental connection with: Biology, Chemistry, Information and Computing Sciences, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Physics. Each of these is made up of distinct institutes that work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems. More fundamental still are the individual research groups – the building blocks of our ambitious scientific projects. For more information, please visit working at the Faculty of Science.

Our Multimedia group is part of the division Interaction of the Department of Information and Computing Sciences , which is embedded in the Faculty of Science. Its departments work together to focus on answering some of humanity’s most pressing problems.

Our work is motivated by real-world applications and we have long-term research cooperations with multimedia organizations and industry (for example in our Center for Game Research and AI & Media Lab). Our work is published open access in outlets and led to several patents and software licenses. We aim to generate value for both science and society and, consequently, have impact.

Utrecht is an attractive city located in the Netherlands, one of the world’s most open and connected countries. Utrecht University reflects this philosophy by offering a flexible work/life balance that prioritizes your well-being within an understanding, supportive, and family-friendly environment. 

Additional information

Do you have any questions that you would like an answer to first? If so, please contact Remco Veltkamp via R.C.Veltkamp@uu.nl.

Do you have a question about the application procedure? Then please send an email to science.recruitment@uu.nl

Apply

Everyone deserves to feel at home at our university. We welcome employees with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

If you have the expertise and the experience to contribute in this role, then simply respond via the “apply” button!

Please enclose the following documents in English:

• a cover letter in which you address your four best accomplishments;
• a full academic curriculum vitae, including a list of publications;
• a research vision (max two pages) and teaching vision (max two pages);
• a list of 3 references (name, position, institute and contact details). 
• a copy of your PhD certificate, or a letter of your University stating when your defense will take place.

If this specific opportunity is not for you, but you know someone else who may be interested, please forward this vacancy to them.

Some connections are fundamental – Be one of them

The application deadline is 12 April 2023.