OPEN UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUS
SCHOOL OF PURE AND APPLIED SCIENCES
MARI-Sense – Researchers & Developers
Open University of Cyprus (OUC) accepts applications for up to three positions for Research Scientists, Research Assistants, and Developers for employment as part of the 3-year project “MARI-Sense”, which started in 2020 and is funded by RIF (https://www.marisenseproject.net). The project seeks to design an integrated platform with the ability to sense, learn, and reason about various maritime operations.
Hired applicants will work at the Computational Cognition Lab of Open University of Cyprus, and will also have the opportunity to collaborate with groups of the MARI-Sense project consortium and of the CYENS Center of Excellence (https://www.cyens.org.cy). In addition, eligible hired applicants who do not hold a Ph.D. already will be encouraged to pursue Ph.D. studies at Open University of Cyprus, and will be considered for fellowships offered by external collaborators of the Computational Cognition Lab.
EMPLOYMENT TERMS
Positions will be filled through annual contracts of employment, renewable for further periods of time subject to adequate performance and project needs. The time commitment of the hired applicants will be up to 140 hours per month, depending on the full or part time status of the employment. The project provides insurance through the national health system, but does not cover a 13th month bonus salary.
Research Scientists (Ph.D. holders): The gross full-time monthly salary will be €2500 – €3500 (pro rata for part-time), including employer contributions, and will depend on the hired applicant’s qualifications.
Research assistants / developers: The gross full-time monthly salary will be €1800 – €2800 (pro rata for part-time), including employer contributions, and will depend on the hired applicant’s qualifications.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The hired applicants will be expected to contribute to the following activities of the project:
- Development of stand-alone programs and smartphone applications.
- Design of novel machine learning algorithms for decentralized systems.
- Development of swarming solutions for unmanned vehicles (e.g., drones).
- Identification of maritime problems and implementation of solutions.
- Participation in project meetings with other members of the consortium.
- Involvement in the preparation of the project reports and deliverables.
- Help with project management tasks and dissemination activities.
- Any other task relevant to the project that will be assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
1. University degree in Computer Science or in another field related to the project. (Applicants without a relevant university degree, who study towards acquiring one, will be considered on a case by case basis, based on their academic history and performance until their application submission date.)
2. Applicants wishing to pursue a Ph.D. degree: an M.Sc. degree in Computer Science, preferably with emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or other fields related to the project.
3. Applicants for a (senior) research scientist position: a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science, preferably with emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or other fields related to the project.
4. Documented past experience and / or employment in positions that require excellent organizational skills, management skills, communication skills, adherence to work ethics, punctuality, capability of taking initiatives, commitment to meeting deadlines and completing tasks with little supervision.
5. Very good knowledge of spoken and written English, and ability to contribute to report writing.
6. Evidence of excellent skills as a researcher and / or a developer in line with the project’s aims, which should be well-documented by participation as a researcher and / or a developer in other projects. Applicants may be asked to complete an assignment to ascertain their researcher / developer skills.
7. Availability for physical presence at the Open University of Cyprus premises is strongly preferred.
ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
1. Distinctions, awards, research or other publications.
2. Knowledgeable in the design of graphic and interactive interfaces.
3. Knowledgeable in Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning.
4. Knowledgeable in Natural Language Processing (NLP).
5. Knowledgeable in symbolic knowledge representation / reasoning.
6. Availability for participation in other ongoing and future projects.
7. Interest to pursue Ph.D. studies at OUC (for non-Ph.D. holders).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants should ensure that all of the following are submitted by the application deadline:
1. A brief introductory note (1-2 pages long) explicitly stating, along with a brief justification, how the applicant’s background and experience covers each of the required and additional qualifications.
2. A full biographical note (up to 10 pages), including the contact details of all past employers.
3. Contact details of two referees who can provide recommendations letters for the applicant.
4. List of research publications, annotated with the contribution of the applicant in each article.
5. Copies of all the degree titles of the applicant, along with the corresponding transcripts.
6. For developers: Documents and / or portfolio that demonstrate experience and involvement of the applicant in code development projects, along with a sample of code developed by the applicant.
7. For researchers: Documents and / or portfolio that demonstrate experience and involvement of the applicant in research projects that relate to the additional qualifications of the applicant.
8. A note that explicitly mentions the extent of the availability of the applicant to be physically present at the Open University of Cyprus premises during their employment period.
Applications should be submitted electronically at https://recruitment.ouc.ac.cy/apply by March 29th, 2021. Candidates and their referees may contact Dr. Loizos Michael, OUC’s Principal Investigator for the Project, at loizos@ouc.ac.cy, using the subject title “MARI-Sense – Researchers & Developers”, or Mr. Michael Savva, at the Research Unit of the university at research@ouc.ac.cy or tel. +357-22411692.
