Phd Position - Signal Processing for Hearing Assistive Devices

A Marie Skłodowska-Curie PhD Fellowship in audio signal processing for hearing assistive devices

Research position at Oticon

A PhD research position is available in Oticon A/S and Dept. Electronic Systems, Aalborg University in the frame of the H2020 MSCA European Training Network “Service-Oriented Ubiquitous Network-Driven Sound (SOUNDS)” under the supervision of Prof. Jesper Jensen.

The PhD student will be fully embedded in the SOUNDS research and training network and will carry out applied research in the interdisciplinary field of signal processing, room acoustics, auditory perception, communication networks and machine learning.

The research will be executed at Oticon - a world-leading hearing aid manufacturer - and will involve several research visits to internationally renowned research labs in Europe.

A fully-funded 3-year research position in the frame of a 3-year doctoral program (resulting in a PhD degree awarded by Aalborg University) is offered.

The topic of the PhD project is: "Distributed sound processing for hearing aid applications"

The “SOUNDS” project

The SOUNDS European Training Network (ETN) revolves around a new and promising paradigm coined as Service- Oriented, Ubiquitous, Network-Driven Sound. Inspired by the ubiquity of mobile and wearable devices capable of capturing, processing, and reproducing sound, the SOUNDS ETN aims to bring audio technology to a new level by exploiting network-enabled cooperation between devices.

We envision the next generation of audio devices to be capable of providing enhanced hearing assistance, creating immersive audio experience, enabling advanced voice control and much more, by seamlessly exchanging signals and parameter settings, and spatially analyzing and reproducing sound jointly with other nearby audio devices and infrastructure.

Moreover, such functionality should be self-organizing, flexible, and scalable, requiring minimal user interaction for adapting to changes in the environment or network. It is anticipated that this paradigm will eventually result in an entirely new way of designing and using audio technology, by considering audio as a service enabled through shared infrastructure, rather than as a device-specific functionality limited by the capabilities and constraints of a single user device.

The ideal profile

To attain this paradigm shift in audio technology not only requires additional research but also calls for a new generation of qualified researchers with a transdisciplinary and international scientific profile, strong collaborative research and research management skills, and the intersectoral expertise needed to carry research results from academia to industry.

Candidates must

• hold a Master degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Engineering Acoustics (or equivalent),
• have a solid mathematical background  (e.g. in matrix algebra, stochastic processes, etc.),
• have taken specialized courses in at least one of the following disciplines: digital signal processing, acoustics, audio signal processing, machine learning,
• have experience with scientific computing in Matlab, Python, or similar,
• have excellent proficiency in the English language, as well as good communication skills, both oral and written.

Candidates who are in the final phase of their Master program are equally encouraged to apply, and should mention their expected graduation date.

Candidates must satisfy the eligibility conditions for MSCA Early Stage Researchers, i.e., they must have obtained their Master degree in the past 4 years and must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the past 3 years.

Why join us?

It is believed that the SOUNDS ETN will offer the best possible framework for achieving these goals, by organizing advanced interdisciplinary research training, developing solid transferable skills, and providing intersectoral and international experience in a network of qualified and complementary industrial and academic institutions.

We offer:

• A high-level and exciting international research environment.
• A strong involvement in a European research project with high international visibility.
• A PhD title from one of Europe's top universities (after 3 years of successful research).
• A thorough scientific education in the frame of a doctoral training program.
• The possibility to participate in local as well as international courses, workshops and conferences.
• The possibility to perform research visits to internationally renowned research labs in Europe.

The SOUNDS ETN strongly values research integrity, actively supports open access and reproducible research, and strives for diversity and gender balance in its entire research and training program. The SOUNDS ETN adheres to The European Charter for Researchers and The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Interested?

Then please send 1) your motivation letter with a statement of skills and research interests (max 1 page), 2) academic CV, including transcripts and possibly GRE/TOEFL results, 3) relevant diplomas, and 4)  names and contact information of 1-2 references to us using the link https://www.oticon.global/about/jobs/careers/open-positions/job-details2.... We hope we hear from you as soon as possible and no later than Jan. 3, 2021.

For questions please contact Prof. Jesper Jensen at jesj@demant.com.

We look forward to welcoming you.