[Note: this position has been filled]

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in the EPFL Data Science Lab in Switzerland, headed by Prof. Robert West. We seek a candidate who will lead innovative research projects at the crossroads of social and information network analysis, machine learning, computational social science, data mining, and natural language processing. The position will be for a period of one to two years.

Research in the EPFL Data Science Lab aims to make sense of large amounts of data. Frequently, the data we analyze is collected on the Web, e.g., using server logs, social media, wikis, online news, online games, etc. We distill heaps of raw data into meaningful insights and useful applications by developing and applying algorithms and techniques in the field of data science, broadly construed.

The Lab was founded in late 2016 and is currently in a phase of rapid and enthusiastic growth. Therefore, candidates must be highly motivated to actively participate in building the Lab and shaping its future direction. The successful candidate will be an engine, rather than a cog in the machine. They will advance the visibility of the Lab by advancing their own visibility. They will lead innovative research projects in a stimulating, open, and international research environment consisting of many highly talented and motivated students, embedded in a strong network of academic and industrial collaborators.

Other benefits include a competitive salary (around CHF 82,000 p.a.), an extremely well funded national research system, an office next to a stunning lake and even more stunning mountains, and generous travel support (in order to see something less stunning once in a while).

Qualifications

Candidates should have completed, or be near completion of, a PhD with a strong international publication record in areas such as (but not limited to) data mining, machine learning, social network analysis, network science, computational social science, natural language processing, information retrieval, etc. The successful candidate will do innovative and creative work in the space spanned by these bases, and the potential to do so counts more than the exact coördinates in this space. Strong programming skills are required.

About EPFL

EPFL ranks among the world’s top universities in the field of computer science. It is located in Lausanne, Switzerland, a beautiful and vibrant city in an Alpine setting on the shores of scenic Lake Geneva, in the very heart of Europe. English is the main language spoken at EPFL, and Lausanne is highly international, such that no French language skills are required.

How to apply

To apply, you should

  1. complete this short online form;
  2. send a letter indicating your interests and experience, your curriculum vitae (including a list of publications), and copies of two representative publications to robert.west@epfl.ch in an email with the subject line “Postdoc position” (PDF files only);
  3. arrange for two letters of reference to be sent to robert.west@epfl.ch within two weeks of submitting your application documents.

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

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