DIGITAL SME, in partnership with the Technological University Dublin, is hiring an AI Researcher to work on the development of Ethical AI and AI governance in the European context. The AI Researcher will be employed at the European DIGITAL SME Alliance, while simultaneously enrolled in the PhD program at the Technological University Dublin, under the supervision of Dr Aphra Kerr.

Tasks of the researcher:

The Researcher will contribute to the CISC project, assessing the ethical and legal implications of using AI and wearable physiology measurements in manufacturing. Moreover, the researcher will work towards completing a Ph.D., focusing on the perception and participation of ICT SMEs in shaping the Ethical and Legal requirements of AI at the European level, in line with activities at DIGITAL SME. Working towards this project and the Ph.D., the Researcher will have to complete both practical and academic tasks to obtain hands-on and scientific insights and industry experience.

Namely, while working at DIGITAL SME, the researcher will:

• Contribute to management and work of the DIGITAL SME Focus Group AI (organising and animating workshops, meetings and other policy events);
• Support policy work on related files such as the AI Act and the Data Act (monitoring regulatory activities, contribute to shaping positions representing ICT SMEs, preparing engagement with relevant stakeholders)
• Work with SMEs to analyse the practical implementation of Ethical AI, e.g. via standards, best practices & guidelines, quality criteria, certification and labelling, etc.

Meanwhile, the researcher’s scientific work will concentrate on:

• Research the state-of-the art legal and ethical requirements connected to Artifical Intelligence and Data in a European context to inform the project deliverables and the Ph.D. thesis.
• Understand the technical aspects of data acquisition and processing in real life settings at the research stage and in industry for SMEs operating in AI.
• Validate and assessment of legal and ethical compliance of the real-life AI use cases. For instance, define the indicators for ethical and legal sustainability for the project research experiments.

Requirements:

1. The candidates must hold a Master of Science Degree or equivalent, allowing access to PhD courses.
2. The candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to March 2022. However, the candidates must have a valid work permit for the EU.
3. The candidates must be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of their research careers and not been awarded a doctoral degree. The research experience is measured from the date when a researcher obtained the MSc degree.
4. The candidates must be fluent in English.

Additional advantage is given to the candidates who:

1. Have proven experience or strong interest in data protection legislation and more specifically issues related to the treatment of mixed data-sets;
2. have interest in SMEs and policy making;
3. have interest in intellectual property legislation;
4. have demonstrated experience or interest in organising workshops and / or other events;
5. have strong communication skills, experience with CRM and CMS systems.

Conditions:

The selected candidate will receive an employment contract for the duration of the CISC project (approximately 30 months).

The main placement of the assignment will be Brussels, Belgium; however, due to the pandemic, temporary remote working options can be considered. The candidate will work as part of the DIGITAL SME secretariat, a young, international, and dynamic team. DIGITAL SME’s office is in the heart of Brussels, easily accessible by public transportation. The salary for this position is competitive, and in line with the candidate’s skills and experience. Flexible working hours, remote working and a results-oriented organisational culture based on mutual trust and respect are part of the benefits.

The candidate must be willing to relocate as 18 months will be spent in the secondment places (Technological University Dublin and Politecnico of Torino).

Application process:

Please send your application by email to i.lanfranchi@digitalsme.eu, subject: “VACANCY/ESR 22”, including the following documents and information:

• CV (Europass template) including the following information:
  • Nationality
  • Graduation date and institution
  • Qualification type and name

• Cover letter answering the following questions:

• Why do you want to pursue an ESR position (PhD career) for the Marie Curie ITN project CISC on the legal and ethical implications of AI?
• How would you envisage to contribute to research on the perception and participation of ICT SMEs in shaping the “European Approach” to Ethical AI?

• Earliest date of availability to start the job
• Names and contact details of two references (will not be contacted before having the agreement of the candidate)

The deadline is 8^th March 2022.

For more information, the candidates can contact Mrs Irene Lanfranchi, i.lanfranchi@digitalsme.eu at the European DIGITAL SME Alliance, or Prof. Hector Diego Estrada Lugo, HectorDiego.EstradaLugo@TUDublin.ie at the Technological University Dublin.