Postdoctoral Researcher - Communication Sciences (30221)

→  Apply before 25/08/2026 - 23:59 (Brussels Time)
→  Research group imec-mict-UGent
→  Department: Communication Sciences

→  Occupancy rate: 20%
→  Type of employment: fixed term 

→  Wage scale: PD1
→  Required diploma: Doctoral degree in musicology, music engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, or a related field

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY

Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15,000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities. With its 11 faculties and more than 80 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

YOUR TASKS

• You will support research and development activities within the Beethoven AI project. The Beethoven AI project develops AI technologies for real-time musical co-creation, enabling an AI-driven Beethoven agent to interact with performers during live orchestral concerts.
• You will contribute to the development and evaluation of technologies for music generation, and orchestration.
• You will contribute to testing, staging/deployment setup, rehearsal support, documentation, and iterative bug fixing and post-rehearsal refining.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• You hold a doctoral degree in musicology, music engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, or a related field.
• You have demonstrated expertise in computational music research, AI for music, music information retrieval, generative AI, or related domains.
• You have experience with interdisciplinary research at the intersection of music, technology and artificial intelligence.
• You possess strong analytical and communication skills.
• You can work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU 

• We offer you a contract of definite duration (20%) for a period of 9 months.
• Your contract will start on 1/09/2026 at the earliest.
• Your remuneration will be determined according to the applicable Ghent University salary scales for doctoral degree holders; salary scale PD1 to PD4.  Click here for more information about our salary scales.
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits.

INTERESTED? 

Apply online through the e-recruitment system before the application deadline (see above). We do not accept late applications or applications that are not submitted through the online system.

Your application must include the following documents:

• In the field ‘CV’: your CV and a transcript of your academic record (merged into one pdf file)
• In the field ‘Cover letter’: your application letter in pdf format
• In the field ‘Diploma’: a transcript of the required degree (if already in your possession). If you have a foreign diploma in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages.

Note that the maximum file size for each field is 10 MB.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Pieter-Jan Maes ([email protected]). Important: do NOT send your application by email, but apply online.

Do you have a question regarding the online application process? Please read the FAQ or contact us via [email protected].