Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 41,500 students and about 4,600 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture. The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here. Are you interested in learning more? Read about Umeå university as a workplace
The Department of Computing Science at Umeå University is an international environment for research and education covering a broad spectrum of computer science. The department is internationally renowned for its excellent research and education. We are affiliated with WASP – Sweden’s largest individual research program of all time, coordinate its sister program WASP-HS, which focuses on the consequences of emerging technologies, and are a strong partner in the national strategic research program eSSENCE. We value diversity and actively work to promote an inclusive work environment with a high level of engagement. Read more at: Department of Computing Science
The staff scientist will be a member of the Explainable AI (XAI) team. The XAI team’s research is focused on developing methods that allow AI systems to justify and explain their recommendations and actions in similar ways as humans explain to each other. This signifies giving the possibility to have a dialogue where the AI system considers the humans’ background knowledge, what is the amount of information that they can deal with at each iteration, and consider the humans’ reactions during the interaction. See: https://www.umu.se/en/research/groups/xai-explainable-ai/
The research will be performed jointly with senior researchers and PhD students within our research group, as well as with our national and international partners. Coordination tasks within large-scale projects may also be included.
The purpose of the research project is to develop the team’s XAI methods further, with a particular focus on how image contents can be explained in a structured way, using explainee-understandable terms and levels of detail.
To meet these needs, we are now looking for a Staff scientist for a full-time, fixed term position starting 2026-09-01 or as agreed. The employment duration is for 6 months.
Your main duties will include:
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Participate in research on Explainable AI, in consultation with the research group
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Implementing XAI methods, notably for applying the method Contextual Importance and Utility on image data, as well as other kinds of data.
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Further development of the team’s work to enable structured explanations using so called “Intermediate Concepts” also for images.
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Implement Python versions of the team’s existing user interfaces for Social XAI.
Duties and responsibilities may change over time.
You need:
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A PhD degree in Computer Science, preferably with a focus on Machine Learning and Computer Vision
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Excellent communication skills in English
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Good knowledge and experience of Python or R programming
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Experience in implementing public, open-source software
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Experience in XAI theory and methods
Personal Characteristics:
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Ability to work independently, problem-solving skills, teamwork ability
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Ability to communicate and document your work
Your application should include:
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A cover letter describing yourself and why you are applying for the job
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CV
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Documentation of formal qualifications (grades, diplomas, course certificates, etc.)
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Other documents the applicant wishes to add
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Contact information for two people willing to provide references
The application should be written in English or Swedish.
Contact:
For further information, please contact Professor Kary Främling, [email protected]
Apply via our e-recruitment system Varbi no later than 2026-06-25
Umeå University strives to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for the current employment. We kindly decline offers of recruitment and advertising help.
Anställningsform: tidsbegränsad anställning | Anställningens omfattning: heltid | Antal lediga befattningar: 1 | Sysselsättningsgrad: 100% | Ort: Umeå | Län: Västerbottens län | Land: Sweden | Referensnummer: AN 2026/686 | Facklig företrädare: Saco-S Saco-S , Saco-S Saco-S , SEKO SEKO 090-7865296, SEKO SEKO 090-7865296, ST ST 090-7865431, ST ST 090-7865431, | Publicerat: 2026-06-04 | Sista ansökningsdag: 2026-06-25
