KU Leuven has a vacancy at Group T Leuven Campus for a full-time (junior or senior) professor in the domain of contemporary software systems for IoT, edge and cloud computing. We are looking for internationally orientated candidates with both educational competence and excellent research experience in computer science, and with extensive expertise in the domain of the vacancy.
The new faculty member will become a member of the DistriNet section of the Department of Computer Science of KU Leuven (distrinet.cs.kuleuven.be), an internationally leading research group with recognized expertise in the areas of distributed systems, secure software and systems, and software engineering.
The new professor will moreover become a member of the Faculty of Engineering Technology, which offers academic, implementation-oriented engineering programs at six campuses across Flanders. The main teaching duties will be situated at Group T Leuven Campus, an international and entrepreneurial engineering campus in Leuven city centre. Each year more than 2200 students enrol at the campus in Bachelor and Master in Engineering Technology programs that are offered in both English and Dutch. On the Group T campus, the e-Media lab creates embodied media systems to enhance human experiences in various domains using sensors, algorithms, and intelligent output systems. Collaboration within the e-Media Research Lab is a great opportunity associated with the offered position (https://iiw.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/emedia).
KU Leuven offers a solid research infrastructure, extensive international networks, connections with companies and non-profit organisations, a stable offer of talented PhD students, and a supportive work environment.
Website unit
Duties
Research
You develop a research programme at an international level in contemporary multisoftware systems for IoT, edge and cloud computing for digital and innovative applications. This broad area refers to modern distributed software applications and systems, where software and data can be deployed and stored in a multi-tiered architecture that includes IoT endpoints, nodes at the edge and public and private cloud computing backends. We welcome both solid software systems research, as well as R&D related to the development of such complex software systems and applications. The scope of the vacancy is broad and includes systems, platforms, middleware, programming techniques, and supporting tools to create next generation application software. Application domains of relevance include, amongst others, media and entertainment, medical diagnostics and care, traffic and logistics, factories and warehousing, and smart cities.
Candidates are expected to have already obtained excellent research results on some topics within this area, including but not limited to:
- development of software systems for IoT, edge and cloud;
- essential system properties such as resilience, reliability, security and privacy, etc;
- performance and scalability aspects of distributed software on low power devices;
- the application of software systems research and advanced software development techniques results in various types of contemporary technologies, such as cyber-physical systems, the web, mobile environments and applications, wireless systems, Internet-of-Things and critical infrastructures.
You engage in high-quality scientific research, resulting in PhD completions and publications that meet international standards and lead to broad international recognition.
You support the existing DistriNet and e-Media network of companies through the commercialisation of research results, and by delivering industrial services, aimed at strengthening industrial innovation.
As part of your research programme, you develop international partnerships, within the academic world as well as with industrial partners.
You are capable of acquiring competitive funding, both project-based government funding as well as industrial funding.
You strive for excellence and thus contribute to the further development of the international reputation of the research group and the faculty. You strive to contribute to technology transfer and application of the results of your research in industry, government, and society.
Teaching
- You provide high-quality education for both bachelor and master students in the field of software development and network-embedded software systems, with a clear commitment to the quality of the programme as a whole. All professors are expected to contribute to basic undergraduate courses.
- You contribute to the faculty’s and the university’s pedagogical mission through the supervision of student projects (e.g. thesis projects) and by acting as a supervisor of PhD students.
- You have an outspoken interest in next-generation engineering education and are willing to evolve throughout your career toward substantial educational engagements. You develop your teaching in accordance with KU Leuven’s views on activating and researched-based education and make use of the possibilities for educational professionalization offered by the faculty and the university.
- Your teaching task is determined in consultation and based on your specific profile. For this vacancy, the campus is looking for expertise in both bachelor-level as well as master-level courses, including topics such as Computational Thinking, Object-Oriented Software Development, Data Management, Software Engineering and Web technologies. There is scope to develop research courses at the master level in your domain of expertise.
- When appointed in a junior position, the teaching assignment will be limited during the first few years of the appointment. In your further career, the faculty pays a great deal of attention to the balance between research and teaching time.
Service
- You are prepared to provide service to the scientific community, to society, and to the university in function of the needs and your personal interests.
- You will carry out applied research projects in collaboration with industry and government and contribute to our network of industrial partners.
- You will involve yourself actively in promoting the Faculty of Engineering Technology to future students and participate in the information and promotional activities of the faculty.
Profile
- You have a PhD in Computer Science or an equivalent degree, and you have research experience in a field related to Software Systems and Software Development for IOT, edge and CLOUD
- You have a strong research track record in the discipline, evidenced by your publications or by your research experience in industry. You have the ambition to contribute to the valorisation of research in industry and in society. International experience is an important advantage.
- You have verifiable qualities related to academic education. Teaching experience is an advantage.
- You possess organisational skills and have a cooperative attitude. You also possess leadership capacities within a university or industry context.
- A good command of English is required. KU Leuven provides courses in academic English.
- The official administrative language used at KU Leuven is Dutch. If you do not speak Dutch (or do not speak it well) at the start of your employment, KU Leuven will provide language training to enable you to take part in meetings and to acquire the level of Dutch that is required for tenure.
- Before teaching courses in Dutch, you will be given the opportunity to learn Dutch to the required level.
Offer
We offer a full-time employment in an intellectually stimulating environment. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, internationally-oriented university that carries out both fundamental and applied scientific research. Our university is highly focused on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research and strives for international excellence. In this regard, the university actively works together with research partners in Belgium and abroad and provides its students with an academic education that is based on high-quality scientific research.
You will work at KU Leuven Group T Campus, in a historic, dynamic and lively city, located in the heart of Belgium, within 30 minutes from Brussels, the capital of the European Union, and less than two hours from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
Depending on your record and qualifications, you will be appointed to or tenured in one of the grades of the senior academic staff: assistant professor, associate professor, professor or full professor. In principle, junior researchers are appointed as assistant professor on the tenure track for a period of 5 years. At the end of this period and after a positive evaluation, they are permanently appointed (or tenured) as associate professor.
KU Leuven is well set to welcome foreign professors and their family and provides practical support with regard to immigration & administration, housing, childcare, learning Dutch, partner career coaching, …
To facilitate scientific onboarding and accelerate research in the first phase, you can apply for a start-up grant of EUR 110.000, on the condition that you are appointed for at least 50%.
Interested?
For more information on the contents of the job, please contact:
* Prof. dr. ir. Stefan Vandewalle, chair of the Department of Computer Science (Stefan.Vandewalle@kuleuven.be , +32 16 32 76 54) or
* Prof. dr. ir. Wouter Joosen, Head of the DistriNet division in the Department of Computer Science (Wouter.Joosen@kuleuven.be, +32 16 32 76 53) or
* Prof. dr. ir. Wim Dewulf, campus chair of Group T Leuven Campus (Wim.Dewulf@kuleuven.be , +32 16 37 28 81)
You can submit your application until 10/09/2024, only through our online application system. If you have problems submitting your application online, please send an email to solliciteren@kuleuven.be.
Add to your application following documents in English (more information is available on the KU Leuven job site):
- your biosketch in which you indicate your added value as an academic for research, education and service to the society of your past career and of your future activities (maximum 2 pages);
- a file on your five most important publications or realizations;
- an extensive cv including a full publication list and if applicable a portfolio of your projects;
- your research plan with a focus on the development of your research line and research team in relation to the colleague-researchers of the entity of employment (maximum 4 pages);
- your vision on academic education and its organization (maximum 2 pages);
- your contribution to society by outreach and public communication on science and technology, internal representation in boards and councils and service activities directly in relation to your developed expertise (maximum 1 page);
- your vision on leadership (maximum 1 page).
KU Leuven places great importance on research integrity and ethical conduct and will therefore ask you to sign an integrity statement upon appointment.
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.