"Postdoc Position in Generative Information Retrieval"

Are you interested in cutting-edge research at the intersection of large language models, deep learning, and information retrieval? The Information Retrieval Lab (IRLab) at the University of Amsterdam is looking for a postdoc researcher to join our research team and contribute to the development of next-generation retrieval systems based on generative models.

We are seeking an experienced candidate to conduct and help lead our research efforts in Generative Information Retrieval (GenIR), a new and rapidly evolving retrieval paradigm where generative models are used to directly generate document identifiers given a user query. This paradigm departs from traditional multi-stage retrieval pipelines and instead integrates the indexing and retrieval process into a single, end-to-end generative model. As such, GenIR models are able to more deeply interact with the underlying corpus, enabling enhanced reasoning, adaptability, and performance in real-world scenarios.

The position is embedded within the Information Retrieval Lab (IRLab), under the supervision of Maarten de Rijke. It is part of a broader research effort to establish a principled foundation for GenIR and is funded by the European Research Council under grant agreement no. 101201510 (UNITE).

What are you going to do? Generative information retrieval (GenIR) is an emerging retrieval paradigm where generative models directly produce document identifiers in response to a query, enabling a tight integration of retrieval and generation. While there are promising applications in both academic and industrial settings, several important open challenges remain. These include out-of-distribution performance, low-resource settings, reliability, dynamic settings, and transparency.

Tasks and responsibilities: You will: Contribute to research and development of generative information retrieval within the scope of the UNITE project (conduct independent research, develop and implement models, publish research, contribute to tools and frameworks); Collaborate and network (collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, build research networks, engage with stakeholders); Contribute to funding efforts and education (supervise and mentor students, engage in educational activities, contribute to grant proposals); Contribute more broadly to advance our generative information retrieval research (organizing research meetings and workshops, foster a vibrant research community).

What we ask of you: We are looking for enthusiastic and curious candidates who meet the following profile: A PhD in AI, preferably at the interface of information retrieval and machine learning; Research background in generative information retrieval, with publications in the leading venues relevant for the topic; Educational experience and ambition: You have experience in the supervision students at the PhD, MSc, and/or BSc level and are motivated to help lead and supervise a team of PhD and MSc students working on generative information retrieval; Experimental skills: You have strong programming skills and experience with deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and have run large-scale experiments using large language models and diverse information retrieval settings; Teamwork and independence: You have contributed to open science and reproducible research and have demonstrated that you are able to work both independently and as part of a team; Communication skills: You have strong written and verbal communication skills in English.

What we offer: We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of 12 months. The preferred starting date is January 1, 2026. If we assess your performance positive, your contract will be extended with 24 months. Hence, the total duration will be 3 years. The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,546 to € 5,538 (scale 10). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile Researcher 4 is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.