Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational (Social) Science and AI

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, Department Business Technology and Operations, research group Data Analytics Lab, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher. 

More concretely your work package contains: 

You will work in a radically interdisciplinary team covering a broad range of disciplines (mathematics, physics, economics, sociology, political science, law…). The team consists of experienced senior researchers and PhD students.

Your tasks include:

• Actively leading and significantly contributing to the development and writing of funding applications. This includes identifying funding opportunities, developing proposals, and coordinating the proposal submission process to secure financial support for our research agenda.
• Supporting the implementation of projects in line with the Data Analytics Lab research agenda.
• Providing expertise in the application of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning with a focus on Natural Language Processing (NLP). Your role will be critical in advancing our research and application of NLP within the broad spectrum of data analytics.
• Co-develop our research line on the interdisciplinary cross-fertilization between machine learning and the (social) sciences.
• Co-supervision of PhD researchers.
• Communicate and disseminate research findings to academic and non-academic stakeholders.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• A completed doctoral degree in a field relevant to computational social science, such as applied computer science, statistics, physics, mathematics, political science, communication science, psychology, sociology, or related disciplines.

• A solid research background in computational (social) science with a strong focus on natural language processing (NLP) and text/data mining methodologies, preferably also experienced with Large Language Models.. Experience in applying and developing techniques such as topic modeling, sentiment analysis,...
• Experience in preparing and submitting funding applications or grant proposals, demonstrating an ability to secure resources for research projects.
• Visible activities related to open science (open methodology, open source, or open access), demonstrated by publishing methods/code on established platforms, developing tools, or conducting method-focused training activities.
• A promising track record, demonstrable in academic research output (high-quality publications).
   

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a contract, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 12 months (extendable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the research activities), with planned starting date 01/03/2025. 

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 19/01/2025, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• your CV;
• your motivation letter;
• your diploma (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof. dr. Marie-Anne Guerry at Marie-Anne.Guerry@vub.be or on +32 (0)2 6148302.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.

Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.