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Research Area Leader – Artificial Intelligence (R4)

On-site in Barcelona·Full-time·Added today (last checked 13 Nov)

Barcelona Supercomputing Center

40 open roles

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Our summary

Work mode
On-site, Barcelona
Contract
Full-time
Relocation
A relocation package
Spanish
Fluent
English
Required
Other languages
Catalan
Experience
15+ years
Education
Doctorate
Benefits
Private health insurance, meal vouchers

Visa options

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    The advert says visa sponsorship isn’t available for this role.

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Skills

Requirements

What we're looking for

  • Education
    • PhD in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Machine Learning, or a closely related field.
  • Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
    • 15+ years of experience in advanced AI research and innovation in top-tier academic or industrial environments.
    • Internationally recognized research profile with a strong record of high-impact publications in top tier AI conferences (e.g., Neurips, ICLR, ICML, KDD, CVPR, ECCV, ICCV, AAAI).
    • Extensive experience (8+ years) leading large/multiple research teams and senior researchers.
    • Proven ability to define and execute scientific strategy at group or institute scale.
    • Relevant contributions and experience in the following AI areas: GenAI, LLMs,multimodal AI, trustworthy AI.
    • Capacity for interdisciplinary research in AI for science, particularly in the following domains: AI for Computer Science (e.g., Chip Design), AI for Earth Sciences.
    • Demonstrated experience in the acquisition of competitive funding especially of high caliber
    • Strong track record as PI or coordinator in national and European research programs (5+ projects as PI, total of at least 15+ projects in teams supervised)
    • Demonstrated experience managing large, interdisciplinary research programs.

Nice to have

  • Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
    • Experience in interdisciplinary AI applied to scientific or industrial domains.
    • Familiarity with large-scale computing infrastructures and data-intensive research.
    • Experience advising public agencies or contributing to AI policy and strategy.
    • Strong mentoring track record and people leadership skills
    • Knowledge of European research and innovation ecosystems.

Languages

  • Competences
    • Fluency in English and Spanish required.
    • Knowledge of Catalan is an advantage.
    • Additional European languages are a plus

Pay & benefits

What you'll get

  • Salary: we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona

The role

Reference: 508_26_AII_AII_R4

Job title: Research Area Leader- Artificial Intelligence (R4)

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is a leading European center in High-Performance Computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Within its rapidly growing AI Institute, BSC-CNS is strengthening its leadership at the intersection of foundational AI, large-scale computing, and AI for science and industry.
BSC-CNS is seeking an internationally recognized scientific leader to serve as Research Area Director in Artificial Intelligence, responsible for defining, growing, and leading one or more strategic AI research domains (e.g., GenAI and LLMs, multimodal AI, agentic systems, trustworthy AI, or AI for science and HPC).
This role combines world-class scientific leadership with strategic, organizational, and programmatic responsibility, shaping the long-term direction of AI research at BSC and contributing directly to the Institute's global positioning.

What you'll do

  • Define and drive the long-term scientific vision (1-5 years) of major AI research areas aligned with the AI Institute and BSC strategy.
  • Maintain a high-impact personal research agenda with international visibility through top-tier publications and scientific leadership.
  • Promote excellence in responsible, reproducible, and trustworthy AI research practices
  • Guide the evolution of research themes in response to emerging AI trends and European strategic priorities.
  • Lead and coordinate multiple research groups and their group leaders, including senior researchers, postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and engineers.
  • Mentor research managers and senior scientists, supporting their career development and scientific independence.
  • Build a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive research culture across teams.
  • Oversee resource planning, hiring strategies, and prioritization of research efforts across the area
  • Contribute directly to the medium- and long-term strategy of the AI Institute and BSC in AI and digital technologies.
  • Identify opportunities for new research lines, institutional growth, and cross-area synergies (e.g., with HPC, Earth sciences, health, or engineering).
  • Lead and shape large-scale national and European research programs (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, EuroHPC, EIC, etc.).
  • Act as Principal Investigator or scientific coordinator of strategic multi-partner projects.
  • Drive the acquisition of competitive funding and ensure scientific and organizational success of funded programs
  • Oversee complex research portfolios involving multiple partners, infrastructures, and disciplines.
  • Build and sustain high-level collaborations with leading academic institutions, industry, and public bodies in Spain and internationally.
  • Represent BSC and the AI Institute in international scientific networks, advisory boards, and strategic initiatives.
  • Contribute to technology transfer, open science, and industrial collaboration activities.

How you'll work

  • The position will be located at BSC within the Directors Department
  • We offer a full-time contract (35h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures
  • Duration: Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration
  • Holidays: 22 days of holidays + 6 personal days + 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement
  • Starting date: 01/12/2016

Hiring process

3 steps2 interviewsa task to do

  1. Application

  2. Screening · With a recruitment panel

  3. Technical interview

    With department representatives · Video call

    Online interview with the department; may include a technical test.

  4. HR interview

    With HR · Video call

    Online competency and attitude-based interview.

  5. Profile questionnaire

    Online test · 5 min

    A five-minute questionnaire on motivation sent during the interview phase.

  6. Contract proposal · With HR

  • Every interviewed candidate is told the outcome by phone or email.
  • Feedback or appeal requests are answered within two weeks.

Hiring process

All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:

  • A full CV in English including contact details
  • A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.

The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases:

  • Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of previous experience and/or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. - 40 points
  • Interview phase: The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. - 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.

The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.

In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.

The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.

At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments/complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment [at] bsc [dot] es.
For more information, please follow this link.

The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.

About Barcelona Supercomputing Center

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) is a leading research center in high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence, located in Barcelona, Spain. It operates the MareNostrum supercomputer, one of the most powerful in Europe, and conducts research across earth sciences, life sciences, computer science, and computational social sciences. BSC is a key player in European HPC initiatives and collaborates with industry and academia worldwide.

BSC's Spain presence is centered in Barcelona, where it employs a diverse, international team of researchers and engineers. The center offers a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment with a strong focus on scientific excellence and innovation. For international professionals, BSC provides opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects in AI, climate modeling, and supercomputing, with English as a common working language and a supportive relocation environment.

Industry
Research and HPC
Founded
2005
Employees
500–1,000
Headquarters
Barcelona, Spain
In Spain
Barcelona

Good to know if you are moving

  • BSC is located in Barcelona, a vibrant Mediterranean city with a high quality of life and a large international community.
  • The working language at BSC is English, making it accessible for international researchers and engineers.
  • BSC offers competitive salaries and benefits, including support for relocation and visa processing for international staff.
  • The center provides opportunities for professional development, including training programs and participation in European research projects.
  • BSC is a non-profit research center, offering a stable and collaborative work environment focused on scientific impact.

In their own words

About the company & team

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.

Look at the BSC experience:
BSC-CNS YouTube Channel
Let's stay connected with BSC Folks!

We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.

We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.

If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.

Additional information

BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc.
BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.
For more information follow this link

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Location

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