Assistant or Associate Professor in Speech and Language Technology (tenure track), Aalto University

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Assistant or Associate Professor in Speech and Language Technology (tenure track), Aalto University

Organization: 
Aalto University
Country of Position: 
Finland
Contact Name: 
Paavo Alku
Subject Area: 
Speech and Language Processing
Start Date: 
21 January 2022
Expiration Date: 
03 April 2022
Position Description: 

ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGY (tenure track)

Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and a staff of more than 4000, of which 400 are professors. Our main campus is located in the Helsinki Metropolitan area, in Espoo, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The School of Electrical Engineering promotes high-quality science, technology and innovations for the benefit of the Finnish society and all of humankind. In our research environment, the natural sciences, engineering and information technology intertwine to form smart systems and innovations that save energy and promote wellbeing. With our research, we seek to respond to many challenges posed by sustainable development and the results are applied, for example, in mobile devices, electrical networks, health care and in satellites. School’s special strength is linking the research with the Finnish and international business sector. We have around 2000 students in total, and around 250 master’s and 50 doctoral degrees annually. Our personnel consist of 700 people with over 70 professors.

The Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics at the Aalto University School of Electrical 

Engineering invites applications for the position:

ASSISTANT OR ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR IN SPEECH AND LANGUAGE TECHNOLOGY (tenure track) 

The professorship is open for highly qualified applicants who have demonstrated outstanding machine learning (ML) research in speech and language technology. Experts representing all areas of speech and language technology are eligible to apply, but the candidates must have demonstrated strong expertise in ML. We prioritize fields with a high potential for research collaboration with the Department’s current groups in speech and language technology. We expect a strong track record of publications and achievements in ML in speech and language technology, excellent teaching skills, motivation and competence to start and lead new and highly ambitious and multidisciplinary research projects aiming at significant scientific results and impacts. All applicants must have a doctorate in speech and language technology (or in a related area of engineering) and fluent command in English. The teaching responsibilities of the professorship include lectures in ML and in speech and language technology and supervision of theses at the bachelor, master and postgraduate levels.

Your experience and ambition

We are looking for applicants with

  • A proven track record and passion to carry out high-quality ML research in speech and language technology and publish in top venues of the study area 
  • A doctorate in speech and language technology (or in a related area of engineering)
  • Potential to acquire research funding and build up your own research group 
  • Motivation to teach both bachelor and master level engineering students

We offer

  • A tenure track position with promotion to a tenured position based on merits
  • A competitive benefits package including access to health care
  • Start-up funding and grant writing support to help you establish your own research group
  • Excellent collaboration possibilities within the university

Great future in one of the happiest, cleanest and safest countries in the world, with a comprehensive social security system and free education up to university level.

Aalto tenure track and contract terms

This professorship is a tenure track position and will be filled to the assistant or associate professor level with a fixed- term contract until the tenure review. The salary is based on Aalto University salary system, but you can also provide your own salary request. The University provides a research start-up fund, and we actively assist researchers to apply for available scientific research funding. Getting tenure and advancement on Aalto tenure track is based on an evaluation of your achievements and merits against the Aalto tenure track criteria. Please see the details about the tenure track path at Aalto at https://www.aalto.fi/en/tenure-track/tenure-track-career-path and evaluation criteria at https://www.aalto.fi/services/tenure-track-evaluation-criteria.

Scientific environment

You will join the Department of Signal Processing and Acoustics in the Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering. Speech and language technology is one of the Department’s four research focus areas and the area has currently three professors. Professor Paavo Alku leads a group in speech communication technology focusing on modelling of speech production and on speech-based biomarking of health. Professor Mikko Kurimo leads a group in speech recognition and language modelling focusing on machine learning models, representations and applications for conversational speech. Associate Professor Tom Bäckström leads a group in speech interaction technology focusing on speech transmission, extraction and privacy. These groups are also very well connected to the recently founded Finnish Centre of Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), which is a large collaboration effort for professors in machine learning and speech and language technology in both Aalto University and University of Helsinki.

Ready to apply?

Please submit your application latest on 3 April 2022 through our recruiting system:

Open positions - Workday (myworkdayjobs.com)

choose “ Apply”. Please include the following pdf documents in English 1) cover letter and curriculum vitae (with contact information and the Orchid and/or Research ID number), 2) the list of publications (in which the five most significant publications are highlighted and your role in them described) 3) a research statement describing past research and plans for the future research, 4) a teaching portfolio describing teaching experience and plans for teaching, 5) the list of references/possible reference letters. General instructions for applicants including language requirements and guidelines for compiling the teaching portfolio and CV are at https://www.aalto.fi/tenure-track/interested-in-joining-our-tenure-track.

More information

If you wish to hear more about the position or us, please contact Professor Paavo Alku paavo.alku(at)aalto.fi +358405009867 or Professor Mikko Kurimo mikko.kurimo(at)aalto.fi +358503476221. In case you have questions related to the recruitment process, please contact HR Coordinator Alina Järvinen alina.jarvinen(at)aalto.fi.

About Aalto University, Helsinki and Finnish society

At Aalto, high-quality research, art, education and entrepreneurship are promoted hand in hand. Disciplinary excellence is combined with multidisciplinary activities, engaging both students and the local innovation ecosystem. Our main campus is quickly transforming into an open collaboration hub that encourages encounters between students, researchers, industry, startups and other partners. Aalto University was founded in 2010 as three leading Finnish universities, Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki, were merged to strengthen Finland’s innovative capability. The greater Helsinki region is a world-class information technology complex, attracting leading scientists and researchers in various fields of electrical engineering. As a living and working environment, Finland consistently ranks high in quality of life, and Helsinki, the capital of Finland, is regularly ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world.

Finns are proud to say that we have one of the best education systems in the world. The Nordic values of equality and co-operation are deeply rooted in our society. We are one of the world’s top countries in happiness, clean air and nature, press freedom and consider the many voices in our society a strength. With high investments in R&D, a strong innovation culture, open data and advanced state of digitalization, we are a nation of innovation and entrepreneurship. Gender equality, flexibility and the low hierarchy are at the core of our Nordic working environment. Having four seasons, clean air and thousands of lakes, we are nature-loving people who take good care of our unique environment. For more information about living in Finland see Aalto´s pages for international staff: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto/for-international-staff.

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