Doctoral researcher in software engineering

We at LUT University’s Department of Software Engineering are looking for a junior researcher with a curious mind and interest in human-data interaction, explainable AI, low-code software development, and privacy-preserving machine learning for sustainability.
The junior researcher will be jointly supervised by LUT University’s Annika Wolff, associate professor (tenure track), and Damian Kedziora, associate professor (non-tenure track), and by Giovanni Stilo, associate professor at the University of L'Aquila, Italy. The junior researcher is expected to spend three to six months at the University of L'Aquila during the four-year doctoral studies. In addition, there are complementary options for gaining international and professional experience with our collaborators in industry.
You must have a master’s degree (M.Sc. or equivalent) in a relevant field (e.g., software engineering, information system management, human–computer interaction, data science, or related fields) and the ability and motivation to complete the doctoral studies within their normative duration (i.e., four years). Written and spoken proficiency in English is required.
Junior researchers must submit an application for the right to complete doctoral studies with all required appendices to the LUT Doctoral School within the first two months of the employment relationship.
We value a background in areas such as

• low-code development platforms (LCDPs)
• understanding of human-centred design principles
• user interface (UI) design concepts
• usability testing experience
• data preprocessing and analysis
• diverse data sources (Io T sensors, textual data, time series)
• artificial intelligence (machine and deep learning)
• explainable AI techniques (SHAP, LIME)
• sustainability concepts
• energy and water resource management cycles
• environmental information systems
• explaining complex concepts to non-technical audiences
• designing and conducting user studies

Job description

• Completion of the doctoral degree within four years
• Completion of required doctoral courses
• Participation in research projects with industry partners
• Supervision of bachelor’s theses
• Assisting in teaching

What we offer

• An opportunity to launch a successful academic career and to become an expert in digital sustainability in the water and energy business
• A four-year (1+3 years) employment contract for completing the doctoral degree; the contract will be made initially for one year and can be extended by three years provided that the studies and research have progressed successfully
• Encouraging and supportive supervision and research collaboration

In addition, the wide range of benefits that come with the job include a holiday bonus, generous annual leave, a research incentive scheme with personal rewards for high-quality publications, flexible working hours, occupational health care, a collegial working environment, and continued commitment to your support, learning, training, and development.
Employment relationship and salary
The work starts as soon as possible but no later than January 2025 with a six-month trial period. The job is based either in Lappeenranta or Lahti, Finland (negotiable).
The typical gross annual starting salary for a junior researcher is approximately 32 500 euros.
How to apply
The deadline for applications is 21 November 2024 at midnight, Finnish local time (UTC+2h).
Please fill out the online application form and attach the following documents in English and in PDF format:

• Motivation letter
• CV
• Initial research proposal (max. 3 pages) describing your motivation, your merits and activities of significance to the vacancy, your subject area with an initial review of relevant literature, and possible research methods and data.
• Copy of your degree certificate; if the original documents are not in English, Finnish, or Swedish, each document must be accompanied by an official certified translation into English or Finnish.

Applications will be reviewed during the application period.
Further information
Associate Professor Annika Wolff, annika.wolff@lut.fi, or Associate Professor Damian Kedziora, damian.kedziora@lut.fi.


Read more about LUT as an employer and the LUT Doctoral School.
Explore information for international staff.


LUT University | Clean energy, water and air are life-giving resources for which we at LUT University seek new solutions with our expertise in technology, business and social sciences. We help society and businesses in their sustainable renewal. Our international community consists of over 9,000 members. Our campuses are in Lappeenranta and Lahti, Finland. We are one of the world's top universities for climate action. lut.fi/en


Technical support for using the recruitment system: recruitment@lut.fi.

Application period starts: 2024-11-01 08:00Application period ends: 2024-11-21 23:59

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