Associate Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Specialisation in Trustworthy AI

Sapere Aude – dare to know – is our motto. Our students and employees develop important knowledge that enrich both the individual and the community. Our academic environment is characterised by curiosity, courage and openness, with a close connection between people, professional roles, disciplines and research. Gender equality, diversity and a democratic approach form the foundation of our organisation. Located in Värmland, a scenic region with a rich cultural life, we are committed to promoting sustainable development in close collaboration with the wider community.
 
Karlstad University has a total of approximately 1,400 employees and 18,700 students spread across two inspiring campus environments in Karlstad and Arvika. More information at: kau.se/en/work-with-us

Description 

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science hereby invites applications for an associate senior lectureship in Computer Science with a specialisation in trustworthy AI. The employment as associate senior lecturer aims to attract ambitious and qualified researchers in the area who are in their early careers, with the goal to let them advance their competence in research and education.  

The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science consists of two research subjects, Mathematics and Computer Science (CS), and has a staff of around 110 people. The research and education in CS are focused on distributed intelligent systems and communications, security and privacy, and software quality. The Department works closely with international, national, and regional partners from the academic community as well as private businesses.  

AI has become an integral part of the work within all research groups, and a new Bachelor's programme with a focus on AI was started in the fall. CS is contributing to EU Horizon and national research projects on trustworthy AI for enhancing AI systems’ robustness, reliability, transparency and explainability, and addressing ethical principles and challenges posed by AI, and has a clear ambition to further strengthen its AI profile, with emphasis on trustworthy AI. The associate senior lecturer in trustworthy AI will be a key person for building up a research profile in this area. 

Duties 

The candidate is expected to conduct innovative research in trustworthy AI, contributing to building a research profile in this area. The candidate is expected to bring and deepen technical knowledge in robust, transparent, fair and secure AI systems. A PhD student will be recruited in connection with the position, and the candidate is expected to play a key role in supervising this student. 

To strive for research collaboration with other colleagues at the Department, industry, and other academics is of paramount importance. The candidate is expected to expand our international networks and contribute to an increase in research funding at both national and international levels. The candidate is also expected to actively contribute as a teacher for first-cycle and second-cycle courses. Duties also include course administration and development, and degree project supervision on first-cycle and second-cycle levels. At least 75% of research time is included in the position. Supervision of doctoral students may also be part of the duties.

To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.  

Qualification Requirements  

Applicants for the position must possess a PhD in Computer Science or related qualifications in AI. The position is primarily intended for applicants who have completed their PhD, or acquired equivalent qualifications, no longer than five years before the application deadline. If an applicant completed their PhD or equivalent qualifications more than five years ago, this requirement may be waived if there are special circumstances. By special circumstances, we refer to special grounds such as sick leave, parental leave or similar types of leave. 

The position requires proficiency in English and Swedish. Candidates who are not proficient in Swedish may still be hired, provided they work actively to acquire proficiency in Swedish. 

Pursuant to the Karlstad University Appointments Procedure, applicants must have completed training in higher education pedagogy. Candidates who have not completed training in higher education pedagogy may still be hired, provided that they use the time allotted to continual professional development to do so within two years of employment, or that they apply for validation of prior learning.  

Additional qualification requirements include: 

• Ability to conduct research of high quality and develop the scientific competence required for appointment as senior lecturer.
• Pedagogical ability that may develop into the teaching expertise required for appointment as senior lecturer.
• Ability to collaborate with the surrounding society and disseminate information about activities and results.

Assessment Criteria

Special weight will be given to research in computer science applied to trustworthy AI, as well as the range, depth, and quality of an applicant's scientific work. 

Special weight will be given to the ability to develop scientific and pedagogical skills required for a senior lecturer position, as well as potential and desire to collaboratively drive the development of trustworthy AI as a profile within research and education. 

Considerable weight will be given to international work experience and the applicant’s experience with research and innovation projects in collaboration with partners from the academic community and from private businesses. 

Considerable weight will be given to documented high-quality open-access publications, open-source software contributions, and the impact of research results beyond academia. 

Considerable weight will be given to personal qualities such as good collaboration skills, sound judgment, responsibility, commitment to the organization, and a positive attitude towards colleagues and students. 

Experience in applying trustworthy and resilient AI in practical use cases is considered a strength. 

Valuable qualification is education and experience in supervising doctoral students. 

Terms 

Fixed-term employment of 4 years full-time, preliminary starting date 2026-09-01 or per agreement.  

Terms for Promotion to Senior Lecturer 

Upon applying, an associate senior lecturer should be promoted to senior lecturer provided he or she is qualified for the position (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 4, Sect. 4) and is deemed suitable following an assessment (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 4, Sect. 4a). 

To be eligible for promotion, the applicant must, at the time of the application, have completed the required training in higher education pedagogy. 

Eligibility for permanent employment at Karlstad University usually includes proficiency in both Swedish and English. For a possible promotion a trial lecture will be conducted in Swedish and/or English to ensure the language skills required for promotion according to the requirements of a permanent position. 

For other eligibility requirements, refer to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 4, and Karlstad University’s Appointments Procedure Effective from February 18, 2026 at Vacancies | Karlstad University

Further Information 

Karlstad University places great value on the enriching presence of diverse backgrounds and gender balance in the organisation. We welcome applicants with different cultural backgrounds, gender identities, functional abilities, and life experiences.  

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. For advice on how to draft your application, refer to “What should be included with my application?” 
Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.  
 
The application should include: 

• CV
• cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and research interests in relation to the duties of the position
• an in-depth account of research experience
• an in-depth account of teaching experience
• certificate to verify completed courses in higher education pedagogy or an account of equivalent skills
• an account of other relevant experience
• managerial, collaborative, and administrative experience
• plans for future work
• an account of collaborations, international network experience, etc.
• list of publications (in multi-authored publications, the role of the applicant must be specified)
• an account of language skills
• copy of PhD degree certificate or documented equivalent academic expertise, or equivalent professional qualifications deemed relevant to the nature of the position and the duties included therein
• no more than 10 scientific publications and no more than 5 materials intended to convey knowledge, such as textbooks, computer programs for teaching, or popular science articles
• two references, at least one of which is a current or former supervisor 

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content.  

Documents that cannot be submitted electronically, such as books or publications, should be sent in triplicate to the following address: 

Karlstads universitet  
Hanna Ljungdahl 
651 88 KARLSTAD 
Sweden 

State the reference number: REK2026/96 

Application Deadline: 2026-06-09

We look forward to your application! 

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies. 

This translation carries no legal weight.

HR Excellence in Research
Karlstad University received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research award September 2020. The award is issued to employers with a stimulating work environment and good conditions for researchers and its continuous improvement. The award also conveys the university’s commitment to fair and transparent recruitment as well as favorable professional development for researchers. Read more: kau.se/hrs4r

1. Stefan Alfredsson, [email protected]

1. Denita Gustavsson, OFR, [email protected]
2. Madeleine Wiker, OFR/S Sveriges lärare, [email protected]
3. Per Hurtig, Saco, [email protected]