Assistant Professor In Explainable Networked Systems

Role description

Introduction

Do you have a passion for computer systems and explainable AI, especially for resource‑limited embedded systems? Are you driven to make intelligent networked (embedded) systems more reliable and trustworthy - and do you have track record in networked (embedded) system research needed to turn that ambition into impact? Then you may be exactly the candidate we are looking for.

Job Description

You will join the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (M&CS). With over 140 (assistant, associate and full) professors, almost 250 PhD and EngD students, nearly 3000 students, M&CS is the largest department of the TU/e. By performing top-level fundamental and applied research, and maintaining strong ties with industry, M&CS aims to contribute to science and innovation in and beyond the region.

The Interconnected Resource‑aware Intelligent Systems (IRIS) cluster within this department is looking for a full‑time assistant professor, who will address the challenges related to the design, the development and the maintenance for the next generation of explainable, transparent, and trustworthy networked embedded systems . Explainable networked (embedded) systems, such as autonomous vehicles, smart energy infrastructures, and industrial IoT platforms, increasingly make autonomous or semi‑autonomous decisions. The ability to understand why a system behaves in a certain way becomes critical for safety, certification, debugging, and user acceptance. Explainability ensures that complex interactions between distributed components remain interpretable, enabling engineers to trace decisions, identify anomalies, control quality, and develop systems that behave reliably even under uncertainty. As an assistant professor you will focus on advancing techniques that make embedded intelligence understandable, from communication protocols that preserve contextual information to algorithms capable of producing human‑interpretable outputs . You will explore explainability across embedded network‑software boundaries, ensuring that distributed components, sensing/actuation pipelines, and decision‑making algorithms remain transparent and traceable.

IRIS research is performed in the context of various application domains including automotive, smart industry, predictive maintenance, logistics, smart cities, health and wellbeing, and intelligent lighting. The industrial applications and collaborations inspire IRIS in its research and ensure that its research outcome remains as close as possible to real‑world problems and has economic and societal impacts. In this role, we are specifically looking for a candidate who can bridge explainability techniques with networked and embedded systems, ensuring that insights remain grounded in real system behavior and constraints. In this role, you will contribute to the ambition of the Beethoven program to educate top talent and strengthen research across the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Job Requirements

• Motivated researcher with a PhD in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, a strong publication record on the conjunction of explainable AI and networked (embedded) systems, and outstanding research achievements, complemented by indicators of international recognition such as invited talks and service on PC, TPC, and/or editorial boards.
• At least 2-3 years of academic work experience after obtaining PhD;
• Ability to conduct high quality academic research, reflected by publications in top venue;
• Demonstrated ability to bridge explainability methods with networked (embedded) systems.
• Motivated to teach, contribute to teaching processes, and develop excellent teaching skills;
• Strong cooperation skills and ability to work in an interdisciplinary team;
• Effective communication and leadership skills, including coaching and mentoring of students, and leading a project;
• Excellent (written and verbal) proficiency in English.

Conditions of Employment (Benefits)

• Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. For an Assistant Professor this is (scale 11) min. € 4.728,- max. € 6.433,- gross per month (on a full‑time basis).
• A year‑end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• A dedicated mentoring program to help you get to know the university and the Dutch (research) environment.
• A Development Track with the prospect of becoming an Associate Professor. If you have a more senior profile, a tailor‑made career proposal will be considered.
• High‑quality training programs for academic leadership and teaching.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on‑campus children’s day care and sports facilities.
• Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
• Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team is available for international candidates, as are a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) and partner career support.