Open Call for Recruitment of Experienced Researchers

Position description and responsibilities

The Experienced Researcher will be hired on a full-time one year contract position, with possible extension of up to a maximum of 3 years, based on performance and achievement and availability of funds. The position will initially be covered by the current FP7-funded ACROSS project, with the intent and plan to secure funding for new fixed-term or permanent positions after the end of the project, in line with the long-term sustainability measures planned for the Centre of Research Excellence to be established by ACROSS.

The successful candidate will contribute to research efforts at UNIZG-FER in the relevant strategic research domains of ACROSS (see web site http://www.fer.unizg.hr/across), in collaboration with other UNIZG-FER researchers and staff. The candidate will join one of the 14 research groups at UNIZG-FER involved in ACROSS and be engaged in current research projects and activities in that group. The position will also include active collaboration with industrial partners and national stakeholders in Croatia, and international collaboration with European partner institutions of ACROSS.

Responsibilities:

1. Research and research collaboration activities with partner institutions of ACROSS

• Carry out high-quality research within the framework of current research projects and    activities
• Publish own and team research results
• Contribute to preparing new funded project proposals, nationally and internationally
• Play an active role in joint research activities with national and international partner institutions
• Maintain active and open communication with national stakeholders and industrial partners
• Contribute to the supervision of PhD candidates working in the research area
• Participate in ACROSS project meetings and boards as necessary
• Contribute to project deliverables, and perform reporting and administrative duties according to project plan and as required by the project coordinator or project management.

2. Knowledge dissemination and technology transfer

• Maintain transfer of knowledge to other members of the project and the community (research  seminars, internal presentations, …)
• Organize round tables, workshops and conferences
• Participate in scientific committees for publications and/ or conferences
• In collaboration with dedicated staff, help identify opportunities for industrial contacts and technology transfer
• Support efforts to adapt research results to business needs and to exploit project results
• Implement sustainability measures for securing funding after the project completion through cooperation with Business Innovation Agency of the Republic of Croatia (BICRO)
• Initiate and participate in development of demonstrators and prototypes
• Promote the project at public events and general community outside the project.

3. Other

• Participate in other ACROSS activities as requested by the Project Coordinator, Research Group Leader or appointed supervisor(s), and ACROSS Project Management Team.

Qualifications/Requirements

The main selection criterion will be the candidate's demonstrated ability and commitment to research. At minimum, the qualified applicant should: (i) hold a Master of Science/Engineering or equivalent 5-year university degree, and (ii) have proven research experience in a field related to strategic research domains of ACROSS. Preference will be given, but not limited, to applicants with a degree in the field of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science. Research publications and participation in national and European collaborative research projects will be valued. Excellent communication skills and knowledge of written and spoken English are expected. Croatian language proficiency is desired but not mandatory; a working knowledge of Croatian is a plus. A doctoral (PhD) degree is preferred, but not required (see eligibility terms below). The successful candidate must be able to provide evidence that he/she fulfils the eligibility criteria indicated below.

Eligibility

Experienced Researchers are defined as researchers having at least four years of research experience (full-time equivalent) since gaining a university diploma giving them access to doctoral studies, in the country in which the degree/diploma was obtained or researchers already in possession of a doctoral degree, regardless of the time taken to acquire it.

Exceptional candidates with demonstrated research ability and results with less than four years experience will be considered if it becomes apparent that there are not enough qualified candidates to fill all open positions.

How to apply

The call is open internationally to any candidate who has the adequate academic background and qualifications. In line with one of the ACROSS’s objectives of reversing the “brain drain”, in case of otherwise equal qualifications, preference will be given to researchers of Croatian origin, especially those returning from abroad, who intend to build their careers in Croatia. ACROSS is also strongly committed to the principle of gender equality and will aim to ensure appropriate gender balance.

Applications will only be considered if eligibility requirements are met and the application guidelines are strictly adhered to.

Prospective candidates should submit complete application materials including curriculum vitae, list of publications, research summary/interests, and 2 references (contact information only) to the ACROSS project manager, Ms. Mirjana Stjepanović, by e-mail at across@fer.hr, or by phone at +385 1 6129 542.

Evaluation procedure

The written applications will be assessed by an evaluation committee, whose responsibility will be to rank the candidates for a given position according to their merits and potential. Interviews will be conducted with the best candidates. An interview panel comprising project management team and research group members will be assembled to ensure different perspectives on the qualifications of the candidates. Based on assessment and interview results, offers will be made to the best candidates. All successful and unsuccessful applicants will be informed about the outcome of their application within four weeks of the application date.

Contact

For more details regarding the position, please contact the ACROSS project manager, Ms. Mirjana Stjepanović, by e-mail at across@fer.hr, or by phone at +385 1 6129 542.