You want to understand how things are connected and make a fundamental impact. We offer an environment where you can realize your full potential at one of Europe's largest and most modern business and economics universities. On a campus where quality of work is also quality of life. We are looking for support at the Institute for Data Process and Knowledge Management.
Institute for Data Process and Knowledge Management
Part-time 30 hours / week
Starting February 01 2026 and ending after 35 years
Do you want to dive into state‑of‑the‑art research on large language modeling and information retrieval? We are seeking two highly motivated prospective PhD students to join the newly established Vienna Research Group funded by WWTF and led by Dr. Svitlana Vakulenko. The objective of the group is to develop novel approaches to modeling knowledge specifically designed for use by an LLM. The group is positioned within the Institute for Data Process and Knowledge Management which boasts world‑class excellence in reasoning data management and knowledge representation research. We offer an environment where you can accelerate your learning outcomes, receive guidance and support, and realize your full potential.
What to expect
* Exciting research projects: investigating and understanding the limitation of the current LLM‑based approaches in the context of information retrieval applications as well as designing and evaluating novel LLM‑based approaches for storing and retrieving large volumes of textual data.
* Support activities: you will be encouraged (but not required) to get involved in preparing new project proposals, workshop / conference organization, bachelor and master student supervision, and teaching activities.
* Teamwork: collaborating with legal researchers and practitioners by testing the research prototypes within a real‑world setting.
* Learning from top researchers: the program will provide career development guidelines, advice and support for students with innovative business ideas and workshops for developing presentation and other soft skills.
What you have to offer
* Academic degree: you have completed a master’s degree that qualifies you for enrolling in a PhD program at WU in one of the following subject areas or a related field of study: Computer Science, Mathematics, Information Systems.
* Language skills: you are fluent and able to express yourself very well in both spoken and written English.
* Data skills: you have knowledge of programming languages such as Python.
* Additional skills: experience with software / research projects leveraging LLMs or other machine learning models.
* Motivation: strong motivation to conduct research in the field of knowledge representation and information retrieval, an interest in diving into the cutting‑edge research and experimenting with large language models.
If you feel the profile fits you and you are interested in the job we look forward to receiving your application.
Applications should include the following information
* A CV listing all education and work experience, awards / grants, stays abroad, link to your GitHub account, workshops, hackathons, publications (if applicable).
* A letter of motivation.
* Master thesis (or pre‑final draft). If your thesis is not yet finished please submit a statement by the thesis main supervisor confirming feasibility of finishing your degree by 1st February 2026.
* Two recommendation letters.
WU is dedicated to the principle of equal opportunities and is strongly committed to diversity and inclusion. Since WU seeks to increase the number of its female employees in academic and management positions, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. Women with equal qualifications are given priority. Qualified candidates with disabilities are also encouraged to apply.
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact :
What we offer you
* Six weeks of vacation / extra vacation time.
* Flexible working hours.
* Training opportunities.
* A wide range of benefits from an in‑house medical officer to athletic activities and a meal allowance to a variety of employee discounts.
* Meaningful work in an open‑minded inclusive and family‑friendly environment.
* A modern campus with spectacular architecture in the heart of Vienna.
* Inspiring campus life with over 2,400 employees in research, teaching and administration and approximately 21,500 students.
* Excellent accessibility by public transportation.
Curious? Visit our website and find out more. The minimum monthly gross salary amounts to €2,786.10 (14 times per year). This salary may be adjusted based on job‑related prior work; we offer a wide range of attractive social benefits.
Do you want to join the WU team?
Then please submit your application by December 17 2025 (ID 2627).
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Required experience: Staff IC
Key skills: Counselling, Apache Commons, Information Technology Sales, Instrumentation, Cardiovascular
Employment type: Part‑time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1
#J-18808-Ljbffr