Vacant job

Umeå University is one of Sweden's largest higher education institutions, with over 41,500 students and approximately 4,600 employees. The university offers a wide variety of high-quality education and world-leading research across several scientific fields, including the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editor, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, collaborate, and exchange knowledge, fostering a dynamic and open culture.

The societal transformation and major green investments we see in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, this means conducting research on – and within – a society in transition. It also means delivering education for regions that need to expand rapidly and sustainably. It is simply where the future is created.

Are you interested in learning more? Read more about Umeå University as an employer.

Department of Computing Science

The Department of Computing Science at Umeå University is an international environment for research and education within a broad spectrum of computer science. The department is internationally renowned for excellent research and teaching. We are connected to WASP – Sweden's largest single research program in history, coordinate its sister program WASP-HS focusing on the consequences of new technology, and are a strong partner in the national strategic research program eSSENCE. We value diversity and actively work for an inclusive working environment with high engagement in an international atmosphere. Read more at the Department of Computing Science.

Project Description

You will be part of the Explainable AI research group. The group's research aims to develop methods that allow AI systems to justify and explain their decisions and actions in a manner similar to how humans explain things to each other. This involves creating opportunities for dialogue where the AI system takes into account people's background knowledge, their capacity to handle varying amounts of information simultaneously, and human reactions during the dialogue. See: https://www.umu.se/forskning/grupper/forklarande-ai/ (https://www.umu.se/forskning/grupper/forklarande-ai/)

The purpose of the project is to further develop the group's methods for Explainable AI, with a specific focus on how the content of images can be explained in a structured manner that also considers the user's knowledge background and need for detail.

To meet these needs, we are now seeking a Staff Scientist on a full-time, fixed-term basis starting 2026-09-01 or as agreed. The employment is fixed-term for 6 months.

Responsibilities

Your main responsibilities include:

• Participate in research on Explainable AI, in consultation with the research group.
• Program methods for Explainable AI, specifically applying the Contextual Importance and Utility method to image data, as well as other types of data.
• Further develop the research group's work to provide structured explanations using so-called "Intermediate Concepts" for images as well.
• Program Python versions of the group's existing user interfaces for interactive explainable AI.

The responsibilities may change over time.

Qualifications

You need:

• A PhD in Computer Science, preferably with a focus on Machine Learning and Computer Vision.
• Excellent communication skills in English.
• Strong programming skills and experience with Python or R.
• Experience in developing open-source software.
• Experience with theory and methods for Explainable AI.

Personal qualities:

Ability to work independently, problem-solving skills, and teamwork. Ability to communicate and document your work.

Application

Your application should include:

• A cover letter describing yourself and why you are applying for the job (Alternatively, we may have specific questions in the application instead, removing the need for a cover letter.)
• CV
• Documentation of formal qualifications (grades, degree certificates, course certificates, etc.)
• Other documents the applicant wishes to include
• Contact information for two people willing to provide references

The application should be written in English or Swedish.

Contact:

For further information, please contact [email protected]

You apply via our e-recruitment system Varbi by 2026-06-25.

Umeå University aims to offer an equal and inclusive environment where open conversations between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity, and development. We therefore welcome people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current position.

To staffing and recruitment agencies and to you who are sellers: We kindly but firmly decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of additional job advertisements.