The Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy is seeking to recruit a Doctoral Researcher in Computational Human Sciences for the period 2 November 2026 (or later as agreed) - 31 August 2030. The fixed-term position is for completing doctoral studies.

The Doctoral Researcher will lead the multimodal affect and attention strand of the project Towards Responsible AI for Education: How to Address the Emotional Needs of Novice IT Students, which examines how university students learn to program while collaborating in AI-mediated environments.

The successful candidate will own the measurement side of that question. You will design and run the multimodal data collection, build the analysis pipeline, and produce the account of how affective features and visual attention unfold across the phases of interaction. You will work closely with the researchers in the project and with the international collaborators.

Who should apply

Essential requirements

- Master’s degree or equivalent in education, psychology, computer science, cognitive science, educational technology, biomedical engineering, or a closely related field, with a clear quantitative methods orientation

- Python and/or R at the level of building, debugging, and documenting a reproducible preprocessing and analysis pipeline

- Good written and spoken English skills

Desirable requirements

- Interest in or experience with some of the following: iMotions, eye-tracking, facial expression analysis, physiological signal analysis, log data analysis, agentic coding, operationalizing emotion across its components

- Interest in or hands-on experience acquiring and processing at least one continuous physiological or eye-tracking signal. We are looking for someone who has personally worked with artifact-laden recordings

- Familiarity with the fields of programming education, human-AI interaction, or CSCL

- Familiarity with control-value theory, appraisal theories of emotion, or the trust-in-automation literature

- Experience running laboratory studies with human participants

- Finnish language skills, useful for participant interaction and interview data but not required

The eligible candidate has, or is about to obtain, a suitable Master's degree. In addition, the Doctoral Researcher must have a permission for post-graduate studies at the University of Jyväskylä. After selection, the selected person must apply for postgraduate study rights through a separate application procedure from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

What we offer

Come to Jyväskylä, Finland, and join our vibrant and inspiring community!

At the University of Jyväskylä, you will be a valued member of our community with a unique opportunity to contribute to international research. You will become part of our international and multidisciplinary community that prioritizes the wellbeing of each individual. Our lively campus provides excellent opportunities for maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.

Finland, named the world’s happiest country for consecutive years since 2018, offers a high standard of living with free education (also in English), affordable childcare, generous family benefits, and comprehensive healthcare. Work–life balance is highly valued in Finland, and employees enjoy four to six weeks of annual holiday. Jyväskylä is located in central Finland, just three hours by train from the capital Helsinki. Part of the Finnish Lakeland, the city offers easy access to nature and a range of outdoor, sports and exercise activities. As a major centre of education with a large student population, it also features a vibrant cultural scene. For more information about the University of Jyväskylä, the city of Jyväskylä, and living in Finland, see the University's International Staff Guide.

Salaries are based on job demands and employees’ performance following the Finnish University Salary System. The salary for a Doctoral Researcher is determined based on the task-specific demand level 2–4 for teaching and research staff. The starting salary will be approximately 2500 €/month (gross income). A holiday bonus is paid to all employees. With progress of thesis work, the salary will be revised in accordance with the Collective Agreement of Finnish Education Employers. If you are relocating from abroad, we will support your move to Jyväskylä and Finland.

We offer good working conditions for researchers and promote the principles of HR Excellence in Research, HRS4R. The Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) is based on the values of the European Charter for Researchers & The Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (Charter & Code). JYU is committed to fairness, consistency and transparency in selection decisions, and undertakes the recommendations for the responsible evaluation of a researcher in Finland. JYU has signed the DORA Declaration. By signing the agreement, JYU is committed to complying with the CoARA principles.

How to apply?

The application documents that should be included in English or in Finnish and in PDF format:

1. A Curriculum vitae, composed according to good scientific practice and considering the template for researcher´s curriculum vitae by The Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity.
2. A short and informal motivation/cover letter (max 2 pages), including your research interests, career goals and previous experience and merits in relation to the qualifications for this position.
3. Degree certificate (highest degree).

We look forward to receiving your application in our recruitment system at the latest on 22 September 2026.

For further information, please contact Senior Researcher Ville Heilala, ville.s.heilala@jyu.fi.

Our application process is transparent, professional and international. We communicate openly with the applicants throughout the recruitment process. We value equality and diversity in our work community and encourage qualified applicants to apply for this position.