A research position in the field of reinforcement learning for automated planning and scheduling

9 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Department

Unità People Innovation

Research Field

Computer science

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Country

Italy

Application Deadline

24 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Rome)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

38

Offer Starting Date

1 May 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The FBK Center for Digital Industry focuses its research on digital technologies for the various domains in
industry (e.g., aerospace, railway, automotive, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.) by creating
applications for critical systems, adaptive and autonomous systems, advanced perception, diagnostics and
prediction systems. It is involved in multiple European research projects and collaborates with numerous
institutions and multinational companies on strategic projects with a high innovation content – including the
European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Railways Network (RFI).
The position is opened by the Planning Scheduling and Optimization Unit (PSO Unit) of the Digital Industry
Center of FBK. The Unit carries out basic and applied research, tool development and technology transfer in
the field of automated planning, discrete optimization and process scheduling with applications in
autonomous robotic systems and flexible manufacturing.

FBK actively seeks diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is also committed in promoting gender
equality.

Job Description
The open research position is in the field of reinforcement learning for automated planning and scheduling.
The STEP-RL project aims at using modern reinforcement learning techniques to synthesize guidance of
various forms (e.g. heuristics, pruning rules, macro actions, parameters configurations) for state-of-the-art

automated temporal planners. We are looking for exceptional post-doctoral researchers, passionate about
the integration of learning and symbolic AI methods: the STEP-RL project will allow the selected candidate to
perform full-time curiosity-driven research on the project themes. This is a unique opportunity to pursue
basic research in the area of learning for symbolic systems, as the only expected outcomes are top-tier
publications and impactful research in the planning and learning communities.
The candidate is expected to work in close collaboration with the project PI (Andrea Micheli), as well as other
researchers, programmers and students involved in the unit. Moreover, the candidate is expected to help in
the supervision of PhD students involved in the ERC project.

Job Requirements
The ideal candidate should have:
● PhD in computer science, mathematics or electronic engineering or equivalent 3yrs research experience;
● Track record of publications in top-tiers journals and conferences;
● Software development skills (preferably Python and/or Rust);
● Ability to carry out an independent research program;
● Ability to work in a collaborative environment and deliver in research projects;
● Oral and written proficiency in English.

Furthermore, the following elements will be positively evaluated:
Know-how or previous experience in at least one of the following areas:
● Automated Planning (e.g. PDDL planners);
● Reinforcement Learning;
● Model Checking or other formal verification techniques.

Employment
Type of contract: fixed term contract
Working hours: full time
Start date: preferably June 2024
Duration: 2 years
Gross annual salary: about € 41.400
Benefits: flexi-time, company subsidized cafeteria or meal vouchers, internal car park, welcome office
support for visa formalities, accommodation etc., supplementary pension and health fund, training courses,
public transport, sports facilities, language courses fees. Further details

at https://www.fbk.eu/en/work-with-us/
Workplace: Povo, Trento (Italy)

Application
Interested candidates are requested to submit their application by completing the online form
(https://jobs.fbk.eu/ ). Please make sure that your application contains the following attachments (in pdf
format):
● Detailed CV with Research Statement
● Motivation letter
Application deadline: April 24, 2024
Please read our Recruitment Regulations before completing your application.
For further information, please contact the Human Resources Services at [email protected] .

Requirements

Research Field

Computer science

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Fondazione Bruno Kessler

Country

Italy

State/Province

Trentino Alto-Adige

City

Trento

Postal Code

38123

Street

Via Sommarive 18

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://jobs.fbk.eu/Annunci/Offerte_di_lavoro_A_research_position_in_the_field_…

Contact

State/Province

Trentino Alto-Adige

City

Trento

Website

http://www.fbk.eu/

Street

Via Sommarive 18

Postal Code

38123

STATUS: EXPIRED