Doctoral Researcher in AI-Driven Bug Intelligence

About us

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character.

The Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg is a leading international research and innovation centre in secure, reliable and trustworthy ICT systems and services.
We play an instrumental role in Europe by fueling innovation through research partnerships with industry, boosting R&D investments leading to economic growth, and attracting highly qualified talent. We look for researchers from diverse academic backgrounds to contribute to our projects in areas such as: Network Security, Information Assurance, Model-driven Security, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Satellite Systems, Vehicular Networks, and ICT Services & Applications.

Your role

We offer a fully funded PhD student position within the Trustworthy Software Engineering (TruX) Research Group headed by Prof. Dr. Tegawendé F. Bissyandé. The position is embedded in a broader research agenda on trustworthy, data-driven software engineering and AI-assisted development. The successful candidate will work on Bug Report Intelligence for the Generative AI Era (BRIDGE) - exploring approaches to transform unstructured bug reports into actionable insights that connect to code, support diagnosis, and improve the speed and quality of fixes. Application areas include developer tooling, reliability, and AI-assisted software workflows, with validation on real-world datasets from open-source and industry.

TruX conducts research in software security, software repair, and explainable software to create key practical solutions for developers, allowing them to achieve trustworthiness, efficiency, and transparency. Application areas include FinTech, embedded systems (e.g., mobile), business or entertainment systems, cybersecurity, and more. For more information, you may refer to https://www.uni.lu/snt-en/research-groups/trux/.

The person will:

• Conduct cutting-edge research across software engineering and NLP for software; publish at top venues and contribute to open-source artifacts
• Design, implement, and evaluate prototypes that relate bug reports to code, collect lightweight runtime evidence, and support developer-centered validation
• Collaborate with international academics and industrial partners to ensure impact and external validation
• Prepare project deliverables; present results at leading conferences and workshops; mentor MSc/BSc students

Your profile

We seek a motivated and curious PhD candidate with a strong interest in trustworthy software engineering and data-driven developer tooling.

More precisely:

• The candidate should hold a Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, Data Science, or a closely related field
• Strong programming skills, e.g., Python, and familiarity with machine learning and/or software engineering workflows; experience with Git and empirical evaluation
• Experience with data collection, annotation, or resource creation is a plus
• Motivation to publish research results in leading international conferences and journals
• Teamworking skills and the ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary and multicultural research environment

Language Requirements:

Applicants must demonstrate at least B2-level proficiency in the language of their thesis. For details and accepted certificates, please visit the Application for admission - Doctoral Candidates.

We offer

• Multilingual and international character. Modern institution with a personal atmosphere. Staff coming from 90 countries. Member of the "University of the Greater Region" (UniGR)
• A modern and dynamic university. High-quality equipment. Close ties to the business world and to the Luxembourg labour market. A unique urban site with excellent infrastructure
• A partner for society and industry. Cooperation with European institutions, innovative companies, the Financial Centre and with numerous non-academic partners such as ministries, local governments, associations, NGOs …

How to apply

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Cover letter presenting your motivation for this doctoral thesis topic, and explaining how your qualifications and aspirations align with its academic focus
• Transcript of all modules and results from university-level courses taken

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by Email will not be considered.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. In line with our values, the University of Luxembourg promotes an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds and are dedicated to upholding equality and respect for our employees and students.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 36 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Kirchberg Campus
• Internal Title: Doctoral Researcher
• Job Reference: UOL08026

The yearly gross salary for every PhD at the UL is EUR 41976 (full time).