The University of Helsinki is an international scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities in Europe and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world.

The Department of Computer Science (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/computer-science), which is part of the Faculty of Science, is a leading Computer Science research and teaching unit in Finland. The research themes of the Department cover machine learning and algorithms, computer networks and distributed systems, software systems and bioinformatics.

The Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki invites applications for

2 Postdoctoral Researchers in privacy-preserving machine learning and probabilistic modelling

Position description

Two fixed-term postdoctoral researcher positions are available in the research group of Associate Professor Antti Honkela at the Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki. The positions are linked to the Privacy-preserving and Secure AI research programme of the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence FCAI, a national flagship research unit nominated by the Academy of Finland.

Our research aims at developing new methods that enable differentially private learning and probabilistic modelling in real applications. One of the positions builds upon our previous work in differentially private Bayesian learning (e.g. NeurIPS 2019, NIPS 2017, UAI 2017) to consider automated methods for probabilistic programming and methods for federated learning. The other position will focus on applications of differentially private machine learning together with collaborators. Collaboration opportunities will enable testing the methods on academic and industrial applications.

The positions are full-time and available for two years. The starting date is negotiable, preferably in January-February 2020.

Qualifications

The candidate should have a PhD in computer science, statistics or related field with a publication record in high-level forums. Previous experience with one or more of the following concepts is considered an advantage: privacy-preserving and secure machine learning, Bayesian inference, differential privacy. Good command of English is a necessary prerequisite. In the review process, particular emphasis is put on the quality of the candidate's previous research and international experience.

Salary and benefits

The salary will be in accordance with the University salary system (for teaching and research personnel, level 5). In addition, the appointee will be paid a salary component based on personal performance. The starting salary will be approximately 3400–3800 €/month.

The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. The International Staff Services office (https://www.helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university) assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland.

How to apply

Please submit as a single pdf file:

• A letter of motivation describing the applicant’s previous research experience and future research interests (max one page)
• CV
• List of publications
• Contact details of at least 2 senior academics available to provide references
• A transcript of the doctoral studies and degree certificate of the PhD degree

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the Apply for the position button below.

The deadline for applications is 10 November 2019. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

About Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence FCAI

FCAI (https://fcai.fi/) is a vibrant research center for Artificial Intelligence in the Helsinki, bringing together the expertise in AI research from both academia and industry. Hundreds of researchers are involved in various research and educational activities, and dozens of industrial actors collaborate in joint initiatives. Moreover, as the birthplace of Linux, and the home base of Nokia Bell Labs, F-Secure, Rovio, Supercell, Slush (the biggest annual startup event in Europe), Helsinki is the largest ecosystem of high-tech companies and R&D centers in Northern Europe.

FCAI is initiated by Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. It has been selected as one of the prestigious Flagships of the Academy of Finland, a status granted to very few selected centers of excellence with high societal impact. The total budget of FCAI is 250 M€ over the next 8 years.

Additional information

For more information on the positions, please contact Associate Professor Antti Honkela (antti.honkela@helsinki.fi).