"University assistant predoctoral and project researcher"

The University of Klagenfurt is pleased to announce the following open position at the Department of Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity at the Faculty of Technical Sciences, starting as soon as possible: University assistant predoctoral and project researcher (all genders welcome). Level of employment: 100% (40 hours/week). Minimum salary: €52,007.20 per annum (gross); classification according to collective agreement: B1. Limited to: 4 years. Application deadline: November 5, 2025. Reference code: 702-1/24.

As a university assistant and project researcher, you will be embedded in the Cluster of Excellence (CoE) "Bilateral AI" which aims at lifting artificial intelligence (AI) to the next level. The vision of Bilateral AI is to educate a new generation of top-quality AI scientists with a holistic view on symbolic and sub-symbolic AI methods.

You will join the research team around Prof. Gerhard Friedrich and Prof. Stefan Woltran working on the project "Boosting performance of symbolic reasoning engines." This project has ground-breaking applications in automated engineering and production planning.

Tasks and responsibilities: Autonomous scientific work, including the publication of research articles in the field of artificial intelligence, with a specific emphasis on integrating symbolic AI, in particular logic, logic programming, constraint programming and optimization with machine learning based on artificial neural networks. Conduct theoretical and practical (empirical) research. Aim to submit a dissertation and acquire a doctoral degree. Collaboration with industry partners. Contribution to organisational and administrative tasks. Participation in public relations activities.

The successful candidate is expected to pursue a Doctorate/Ph.D. within the thematic doctoral programme Informatics at the University of Klagenfurt and to join the doctoral school of the Cluster of Excellence (CoE) "Bilateral AI".

Prerequisites for the appointment: Master’s degree at a domestic or foreign higher education institution in computer science or a related field. Solid background in one or more of the following fields: symbolic artificial intelligence, such as logic programming, constraint programming, deep learning, or reinforcement learning. Solid communication and dissemination skills. Fluency in English (both written and spoken).

Additional desired qualifications: Ability to work in a diverse team. Programming skills, preferably Python. Experience with answer set or constraint programming tools, e.g., clingo or OR-Tools. Knowledge of deep learning frameworks, like PyTorch or TensorFlow. Scientific publication and dissemination experience. Experience with university teaching.

The employment contract is concluded for the position as university assistant (predoctoral) and stipulates a starting salary of €3,714.80 gross per month (14 times a year).

The University of Klagenfurt also offers: Personal and professional advanced training courses, management and career coaching. Numerous attractive additional benefits. Diversity- and family-friendly university culture. The opportunity to live and work in the attractive Alps-Adriatic region.

To apply, please select the position with the reference code 702-1/2024 in the category "Scientific Staff" using the link in the job portal at jobs.aau.at/en/. In addition to the application documents, two reference letters should be sent to bilateral-ai-recruiting@aau.at.