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Job description
In our ERC-funded GeoTrAnsQData project, we are looking for a Scientific Engineer who can provide technical design support and implementation assistance for realizing a prototype for indirect geographic question-answering (GeoQA).
Your job
The project aims to answer queries beyond the straightwards retrieval of answers by enabling interaction with geodata infrastructures through dynamically constructed workflows. The selection of relevant geodata (maps), the construction and execution of workflows (i.e., transformations), and ensuring their semantic validity and correctness all play a crucial role in generating answers in the form of answer maps. You will explore these challenges together with the Principal Investigator as well as a postdoctoral researcher and two PhD candidates. We are looking for a motivated candidate with strong technical and programming skills and relevant project experience to join this interdisciplinary research team at the forefront of GeoAI and question answering research.
You will contribute primarily to three areas: data, implementation, and infrastructure with user studies.
Data
You will work closely with PhD candidates on data curation, particularly on datasets that can serve as gold standards for training and evaluation. Your responsibilities will include interacting with (geo)data repositories, performing semantic annotation, improving data quality by data refinement (e.g., correcting mislabelled records), construction and use of knowledge graphs, and transforming data between different representations. In addition, you will contribute to enriching (meta)data with semantic information and collaborate with PhD candidates on the selection, parsing, and representation of questions. You will also help with the modelling and validation of workflows. You are expected to follow open science principles and support data management, documentation, and long-term preservation. Some potential collaboration with Dutch partner institutions is expected for this part.
Implementation
You will develop data analysis scripts to assess and improve data quality. Your main responsibility will be to collaborate with PhD candidates and the postdoctoral researcher on the representation and generation of workflows that transform (geo)data into answers to user questions. You are expected to be open to exploring hybrid approaches that combine symbolic and sub-symbolic AI methods. On the symbolic AI side, you will co-develop a typed language for constructing and querying GIS workflows. On the sub-symbolic side, you may be involved in post-training LLMs, in developing agentic AI systems, and building tools for manual evaluation. Therefore, familiarity with typed query languages, GIS workflows, as well as high-performance computing (HPC) and agentic AI approaches would be beneficial. In addition, you will contribute to the design and selection of metrics for validating and evaluating generated answers.
Infrastructure with user Studies
User studies form an important part of the project's evaluation strategy. You will support the deployment of such Q&A infrastructure on available servers. Together with PhD candidates, you will develop interfaces for collecting user input and system responses. You will also collaborate on the analysis and evaluation of collected data and ensure that all data are properly anonymised before publication.
Requirements
Ideally, we are looking for a candidate with the following background. Applicants are not expected to possess all of the listed knowledge and skills at the start of the position, provided they demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt.
- A Master's degree (completed or expected by September 2026) in Computer Science, GIScience, Geoinformatics, Artificial Intelligence, Natural Language Processing, High-Performance Computing, or a related field;
- Interest in learning about geodata analytical workflows, GeoAI, workflow modelling/construction/validation, and agent–user interaction, geospatial data analysis, geospatial workflow construction and modelling, (geo)data infrastructures, GIS software;
- Knowledge of, or interest in, (geo)data infrastructures, and (geo)data curation. data storage, linked data, open science practices, and web interface design;
- Knowledge of, or interest in, formal languages, semantic modelling, ontology engineering, formal logic, knowledge graphs, data annotation, user interaction, cognitive modelling;
- Knowledge of, or interest in, agentic AI, NLP, HPC, LLMs, machine learning;
- Strong programming and software development skills;
- Good command of English (Dutch is not required), strong communication skills, and enthusiasm for collaboration in an interdisciplinary and international environment;
- Previous research experience is considered an advantage.
Conditions of employment
- a Scientific Engineer position for a period of 4 years;
- a working week of 32 - 40 hours and a gross monthly salary between € 3.382 and €4.484 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale 8 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
- 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
- a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.
In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.
Employer
Universiteit Utrecht
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 strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.
Utrecht University’s Faculty of Geosciences studies the Earth: from the Earth’s core to its surface, including man’s spatial and material utilisation of the Earth – always with a focus on sustainability and innovation. With 3,400 students (BSc and MSc) and 720 staff, the faculty is a strong and challenging organisation. The Faculty of Geosciences is organised in four Departments: Earth Sciences, Human Geography & Spatial Planning, Physical Geography, and Sustainable Development.
Additional information
For more information about the position, please contact Simon Scheider via s.scheider@uu.nl.
Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.
Working at Utrecht University
At Utrecht University, we work together towards a better future for all of us. You are invited to contribute to a better world. Will you join us?
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