Postdoctoral Researcher in Symbolic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence

Welcome to Maastricht University

The world is changing fast, and we are changing with it. At Maastricht University, your work makes a real difference – whether you develop new forms of artificial intelligence, help students grow as critical thinkers, or contribute to the foundations of future technologies.

Postdoctoral Researcher in Symbolic Approaches to Artificial Intelligence

• Our goal: Strengthen the theoretical foundations of explainable, transparent, and reliable Artificial Intelligence through logic- and reasoning-based approaches.
• Your colleagues: You will join the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences (DACS). DACS is an international community of approximately 100 researchers at various stages of their career, embedded in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Our department has more than 30 years of experience in research and teaching in the fields of Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Data Science, and Applied Mathematics. 

Your role

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence have led to impressive capabilities in natural language generation, reasoning, and interaction. At the same time, many AI systems remain opaque, inconsistent, and difficult to control. Symbolic (logic-) based approaches offer transparency, structure, and principled reasoning, but often struggle with flexibility and scalability in real-world applications.

In this postdoctoral position, you will contribute to research on logic- and reasoning-based foundations for explainable AI. Your work explores how symbolic and sub-symbolic methods can be combined to build AI systems that are not only powerful, but also interpretable, trustworthy, and adaptive.

Your research may engage with topics such as formal and computational argumentation, logic-based approaches to explainable AI, causal reasoning and explanation, nonmonotonic and commonsense reasoning, reasoning under uncertainty, dialogue and debate systems grounded in formal reasoning, or hybrid symbolic–sub-symbolic AI architectures.

In addition to conducting high-quality research, you will publish your results in leading international venues, present your work to the scientific community, and contribute to grant acquisition activities. You will also support educational tasks within the department, including assisting in courses and supervising bachelor’s and master’s theses.

This is a full-time postdoctoral position for a duration of two years.

What you bring

It’s not about ticking boxes – it’s about who you are and what you bring. Does this sound like you?

• Strong academic foundation: You hold a PhD in computer science, artificial intelligence, or a closely related field.
• Expertise in symbolic AI: You have a solid background in logic, knowledge representation, and reasoning.
• Research-driven mindset: You enjoy developing theoretical foundations and translating them into publishable research.
• Intellectual curiosity: You are motivated to explore the interaction between symbolic and sub-symbolic AI approaches.
• Collaborative attitude: You enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams and contributing to shared research goals.
• Clear communication skills: You can present complex ideas effectively in English, both in writing and in discussion.

What we offer

At Maastricht University, you’ll work in an international, open, and engaged environment. We offer:

• A two-year full-time postdoctoral contract, based on mutual satisfaction.
• A competitive salary within the applicable UM postdoctoral scale between €4.728 and €6.433 (based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week), plus 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus.
• 29 vacation days (based on full-time), four additional days off, and the option to accrue up to 12 extra days through compensation hours.
• Flexible working hours, a home office allowance, and the option to work from home.
• Freedom and space to shape your research agenda and develop your academic profile.
• A collaborative academic community with strong international connections.
• A solid pension scheme via ABP, company fitness options, and access to university sports facilities.
• An inspiring work environment in the heart of Europe.

About the Faculty of Science and Engineering

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) brings together expertise in artificial intelligence, data science, engineering, and the natural sciences. Our research and education are interdisciplinary, internationally oriented, and closely connected to societal challenges. Within FSE, you will find an open and collaborative culture that values curiosity, critical thinking, and innovation.

FSE at the Brightlands Campuses  
Maastricht, Sittard-Geleen, Heerlen, and Venlo, the home of four creative Brightlands campuses, are bustling with 30,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and students working diligently to solve global challenges. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is active on all four Brightlands campuses, and this is where our impact reaches its peak. To give you an idea of what is happening at each campus: Sittard-Geleen is home to the largest chemical site in the Euregion, while Venlo is a large hub for agri-food innovation. Maastricht is the site of the Health Campus, and Heerlen is the place to be for Smart Services.  

Interested?

For further information about this position, please contact Dr. Tjitze Rienstra via t.rienstra@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Apply now, no later than 15/03/2026, for this position. 

About Maastricht University
At Maastricht University, we collaboratively seek solutions to help move the world forward. We do this with 23,300 students and 5,400 employees across 5 regional locations, 6 faculties, and more than 70 research institutes. We encourage you to push boundaries and discover new opportunities for yourself and the world around you. Together, we can find the answers for tomorrow.

The vacancy is open for internal and external candidates. In case of equal qualifications, internal candidates will be prioritized.

Maastricht University is committed to promoting and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. We believe that diversity in our staff and student population contributes to the quality of research and education at UM, and strive to enable this through inclusive policies and innovative projects led by teams of staff and students. We encourage you to apply for this position.