PostDoc in Machine Learning and Statistics (3 years)

Are you interested in combining machine learning with statistical methods, and do you want to contribute to shaping the future of data science techniques and applications with an eye on society? Then Vrije Universiteit would like to get to know you!

Your function

We are looking for a PostDoc who will do research on the intersection of machine learning (ML) and statistics. The focus will be on enriching statistical methods through advanced machine learning techniques, for instance, by learning latent representations of the data. In addition to utilizing such techniques for predictive modeling scenarios, causal modeling is also within the scope of the position.

The position is embedded in the ten-year gravitation grant Stress in Action, funded through NWO (Dutch National Science Foundation). The goal of the project is to move stress research from the lab into daily life, and hence, the use cases of methodological innovations will focus on applications to stress-related data, such as wearables, ecological momentary assessments, and other types of questionnaires.

A variety of academic partners are involved in the project, including Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Erasmus MC, University of Twente, University of Groningen, UMC Groningen, and Utrecht University.

The position is embedded in the Quantitative Data Analytics (QDA) group of the VU in close collaboration with Erasmus MC and the University of Groningen. The QDA group focuses on both fundamental and application-driven research in ML.

We are looking for candidates with experience in the area of machine learning or statistics, with a special preference for those with expertise in one or more of the following areas: representation learning, causal inference. We are interested in attracting a PostDoc who is able to perform ground-breaking research on fundamental aspects of machine learning and statistics and wants to apply these innovations in the context of the Stress in Action project.

Your duties

The PostDoc position is focused on performing research and contains the following duties:

• performing research in the field of machine learning and publishing in top ML conferences
• participating in the QDA group of VU (led by Mark Hoogendoorn), the Biostatistics group of Erasmus MC (led by Dimitris Rizopoulos), and Laura Bringmann's intensive longitudinal data lab at the University of Groningen
• contributing to the Stress in Action project and interacting with the different partners and stakeholders in the project
• contributing to some teaching activities and possibly supervising Bachelor and Master students (20% of the time)

Your profile

We will base our selection on the following components:

• a PhD degree in an area relevant to machine learning and/or statistics
• prior experience in machine learning and/or statistics, and ideally also on applications in the health domain, demonstrated by relevant publications
• a strong record of computer programming, with experience in pytorch and/or tensorflow
• demonstrated ability to work both independently and as a team member

The role requires a flexible working approach, as you will be actively involved at multiple locations across Amsterdam, Groningen, and the broader Randstad region.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging and impactful postdoctoral position within a high-profile national and international research program that bridges academia and industry. The position, with the total duration of 3 years, is embedded in a vibrant and international research environment at VU Amsterdam for a duration of 1.5 years. This is followed by an appointment at the University of Groningen, for a maximum duration of 1.5 years.

• a salary of minimum € 3.546,00 (Scale 10) and maximum € 5.538,00 (Scale 10) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE.
• your initial employment contract at VU Amsterdam will last 1,5 year. After a successful evaluation, an appointment at the University of Groningen will additionally follow for another 1,5 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• solid pension scheme (ABP)

About us

Computer Science Department

The department explicitly encourages inter- and cross disciplinary research, and expects the successful candidate to be able to collaborate with colleagues in other fields of Computer Science (e.g. Artificial Intelligence and Quantitative Data Analytics, Software and Sustainability, or System Security), as well as with colleagues from other institutes such as CWI. A large share of interdisciplinary research with the department is embedded in the Network Institute of Vrije Universiteit, covering disciplines such as Social sciences, Humanities, and Economics. The Department also actively participates in Amsterdam Data Science, a collaboration between more than 600 data science researchers from different institutions in Amsterdam and AMSec, the Amsterdam security collaborative center with researchers from different institutions in Amsterdam.