Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) has a vacancy in the Distributed & Interactive Systems research group for a talented Research Engineer (m/f/x) on Accessible Augmented Reality for Remote Sign Language Interpretation.
Job description
We are looking for talented Research Engineer with an interest in accessibility and XR technologies, focusing on supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals through Augmented Reality–based remote sign language interpretation.
A 2-year fixed-term full time Research Engineer position is available at the Distributed & Interactive Systems (DIS) research group at CWI. The position is embedded within the TACIT project, where this position has close collaborations between CWI, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and the University of Amsterdam. You will be working under the supervision of Dr. Abdallah El Ali (CWI) and Prof. dr. Pablo Cesar (CWI).
The candidate will be partially embedded at LAB42 and the SignLab Amsterdam at the neighboring University of Amsterdam, working in collaboration with Dr. Maartje De Meulder (HU Utrecht) and Prof. dr. Floris Roelofsen (UvA).
We are seeking a Research Engineer to research, design, and primarily develop inclusive Augmented Reality and XR technologies for remote sign language interpretation. The role focuses on technical HCI challenges in accessible immersive communication, including real-time AR interaction, spatial presentation of interpreters, adaptive visual interfaces, and multimodal feedback for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
The successful candidate will build AR/XR prototypes for remote interpretation scenarios, with emphasis on interaction techniques for AR glasses and immersive environments. The work may involve spatial anchoring of interpreter views, attention guidance, gaze- and context-aware interfaces, latency-aware communication design, and integration of visual, spatial, and haptic feedback.
The position combines research engineering, prototyping, and empirical evaluation. Activities will have a strong technical development focus of implementing XR systems, but may also involve designing controlled user studies, measuring usability and communication effectiveness, and translating findings into technical design guidelines and reusable interaction frameworks for accessible immersive technologies.
Topics of interests include:
- Accessible XR Interaction Techniques: Designing and implementing AR/XR interfaces that support accessible communication for deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
- Remote Sign Language Interpretation in AR: Developing technical approaches for placing, scaling, anchoring, and managing interpreter representations in the user’s real-world environment.
- Multimodal Feedback and Attention Guidance: Exploring visual, spatial, gaze-based, haptic, and/or contextual cues to support awareness, turn-taking, speaker identification, and communication flow.
- Adaptive and Context-Aware AR Interfaces: Building systems that respond to user context, task demands, environment, and communication dynamics in real-time.
- Evaluation of Immersive Accessibility Technologies: Studying usability, cognitive load, latency, immersion, and communication effectiveness in controlled and realistic XR scenarios.
Requirements
Depending on the specific topic of interest, candidates are required to have completed their master’s degree in computer science, human-computer interaction, industrial design engineering, electrical engineering, cognitive science, or a related field. We specifically seek candidates with a strong interest in XR technologies for accessibility. Ideally, the candidate has worked already on topics for supporting Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals. Having existing publications in top HCI venues such as CHI, UIST, ASSETS, or related venues, is a plus.
Needed qualifications for candidates include proven research talent, strong technical background, and good academic writing and presentation skills. Candidates are expected to have an excellent command of English.
Terms and conditions
The terms of employment are in accordance with the Dutch Collective Labour Agreement for Research Centres ("CAO-onderzoeksinstellingen"). The gross monthly salary for an employee on a full time basis, depending on relevant work experience, ranges from € 3.630 to € 5.758. The appointment will be for a period of two years.
Employees are also entitled to a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.33%. CWI offers attractive working conditions, including flexible scheduling.
Please visit the CWI website for more information about our terms of employment’, or go to the working pages of the NWO website
Information and application
All applications should include a detailed resume, motivation letter and contact details of (at least) three references.
The application deadline is 4 September 2026. To apply, use the application button at the end of the job text. Applications will be considered in rounds until the position is filled.
For more information about the vacancy, please contact Dr. Abdallah El Ali ([email protected]) and Prof.dr. Pablo Cesar ([email protected])
For more information about CWI, please visit www.cwi.nl or watch our video about working at CWI.
CWI encourages a diverse workforce: we endeavour to develop talent and creativity by bringing people from different backgrounds and cultures together. We recruit and select based on capabilities and talent. We strongly encourage everyone with the appropriate qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, gender, origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities.
Diversity code
CWI strives to be a diverse and inclusive research institute. To achieve balanced representation in positions, we have been investing in a diverse and inclusive organization already since 2010, among others by prioritizing applications from women researchers. This approach has recently led to hiring a majority of women in Tenure Track positions.
CWI encourages a diverse workforce: we endeavour to develop talent and creativity by bringing people from different backgrounds and cultures together. We strongly encourage candidates with the appropriate qualifications to apply for the vacancy, regardless of age, origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities.
About CWI
Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and is part of the Institutes Organisation of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large.
CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries, an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We have an activity committee that organizes after-work activities and among others a women’s network.
CWI is located at Science Park Amsterdam, which is a major location of research in the physical sciences in The Netherlands, housing the sciences of the University of Amsterdam as well as several other national research institutes next to CWI.
About Research group
Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the Dutch national research institute for mathematics and computer science and is part of the Institutes Organisation of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The mission of CWI is to conduct pioneering research in mathematics and computer science, generating new knowledge in these fields and conveying it to trade, industry, and society at large.
CWI is an internationally oriented institute, with 160 scientists from approximately 27 countries, an informal atmosphere and short lines of communication. We have an activity committee that organizes after-work activities and an informal women’s network.
CWI is located at Amsterdam Science Park, which is a major location for scientific research in the Netherlands. Next to CWI, Science Park houses several other national research institutes, many startups and scale-ups, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), and the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam.
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