Project staff member (PhD Position) or Assistant Professor (postdoctoral Pr

at  Wirtschaftsuniversitt Wien

Vienna University of Economics and Business
Research, development, teaching
Part time
published till: 2024-12-11
Do you want to participate in Austria’s largest joint project on the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence and contribute to WU Vienna’s vision of boosting AI? Do you want to understand how things are connected and make a fundamental impact? We are seeking highly motivated and talented individuals to join the Institute for Retailing and Data Science (Prof. Nils Wlömert) and the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics (Prof. Kurt Hornik) at one of Europe’s largest and most modern business and economics universities on a campus where quality of work is also quality of life. We are looking for support at the

INSTITUTE FOR RETAILING & DATA SCIENCE

Part-time, 30 hours/week
Starting January 01, 2025, and ending after 4 years (PhD position) or 2.5 years (Assistant Professor position)
We are seeking highly motivated and talented individuals to join our dynamic research team for combining symbolic and sub-symbolic AI. The successful candidates will conduct research at WU in collaboration with our partner institutes at Johannes Kepler University Linz, AAU Klagenfurt, ISTA, TU Graz, and TU Vienna.
The vision of Bilateral AI is to educate a new generation of top-quality AI scientists with a holistic view of symbolic and sub-symbolic AI methods. Training and mentoring young researchers is a central activity combining groundbreaking research work with an education program. The training will be distributed over the six participating institutions.
We are currently inviting applications for either a Project Staff Member (PhD position) position (4 years) or an Assistant Professor (Postdoctoral Project Staff Member) position (2.5 years).
The successful candidate will work under the main supervision of Prof. Nils Wlömert (Institute for Retailing and Data Science) and Prof. Kurt Hornik (Institute for Statistics and Mathematics). The Institute for Retailing and Data Science applies AI and data-driven techniques to solve real-world business problems, particularly in retailing and consumer behavior. The Institute for Statistics and Mathematics focuses on advancing methods in statistics, data science, and AI, particularly in areas that emphasize rigorous, quantitative approaches. Together, these institutes foster a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment with access to strong research infrastructure and unique data, enabling innovative research at the intersection of theory and application in Artificial Intelligence. Moreover, the PhD is expected to collaborate on a broader level under the co-supervision of another key researcher from the BILAI network (https://www.bilateral-ai.net/consortium/).
What to expect

PHD POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates applying for the PhD position must hold a master’s degree that qualifies them to enroll in a PhD program, in one of the relevant subjects (see above). They should have solid practical and theoretical foundations in at least one of these areas. Strong academic performance, programming expertise, and proficiency in English are required. PhD students will be actively involved in joint seminars, workshops, teaching, and interdisciplinary projects across the participating institutions.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates applying for the Assistant Professor position must have a completed PhD in one of the relevant fields. They should have demonstrated the ability to conduct high-quality research, publish in leading academic journals and conferences, and have expertise in at least one of the areas mentioned above. In addition to research, applicants are expected to have experience in teaching and supervising students, and a strong track record of interdisciplinary collaboration. Experience with industry partnerships, grant writing, or leading research projects is desirable. Fluency in English is required.
Do you want to join the Institute for Statistics and Mathematics and the Institute for Retailing and Data Science, as well as become part of the BILAI network? Then please submit your application. The following documents must be submitted (in English) by the call deadline:

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (POST-DOC) APPLICANTS:

1. A scientific CV, including academic degrees, previous employment (if any), list of publications, lectures, awards, and distinctions. Career breaks (e.g., unemployment, parental/health leave) should also be included to ensure fair assessment based on effective “academic age.”;
2. A submitted doctoral thesis or a pre-final draft version. If the PhD is not yet completed, an accompanying statement from the thesis main supervisor confirming the feasibility of finishing the PhD by the end of 2024 is required;
3. A transcript of your ongoing or completed Doctoral Study;
4. A research statement outlining the planned research, goals, and significance, detailing the connection between symbolic and sub-symbolic aspects. The statement should refer to specific Research Modules of the BILAI project (https://www.bilateral-ai.net/research-modules/), particularly focusing on RM5 and RM8, and should include a rough timeline and key milestones.
5. Selected supervisors from the BILAI consortium, indicating the main supervisors (Prof. Nils Wlömert and Prof. Kurt Hornik for this specific position) and possible secondary supervisors from the list of BILAI’s Key Researchers (https://www.bilateral-ai.net/consortium/).
6. A career motivation statement discussing mid-term career objectives, the motivation for the research project, justification of the choice of host institutions, and foreseen impact on the candidate’s future career.
7. A statement of teaching experience and interests (if applicable), potentially including teaching evaluations.
8. Three academic recommendation letters;
   By submitting your application, you agree with your application being shared also with members of the BILAI admission committee from other partner universities in the BILAI network.
   Join us in shaping the future of AI! We are excited to receive your application and welcome you to a vibrant, collaborative research community dedicated to advancing AI knowledge. We are looking forward to hearing from you! If you have any questions regarding the position or application documents prior to application, don’t hesitate to contact me for further information nils.wloemert@wu.ac.at with the subject: “[BILAI position]”

What we offer you

• Inspiring campus life with over 2,400 employees in research, teaching, and administration and approximately 21,500 students
• A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna
• Excellent accessibility by public transportation
• Meaningful work in an open-minded, inclusive, and family-friendly environment
• Flexible working hours
• A wide range of benefits, from an in-house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts

The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to €2,684.10 for the PhD position (14 times per year). This salary may be adjusted based on job-related prior work experience. The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to 3,564.23 for the Assistant Professor position (14 times per year). This salary may be adjusted based on equivalent prior work experience (post doc). In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive social benefits.

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE WU TEAM?

Then please submit your application by December 11, 2024 (ID 2256).
We are looking forward to hearing from you

Please refer the Job description for details