Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) is a private research institution devoted to excellence in research in numerous disciplines and designated to the role of keeping the Autonomous Province of Trento in the mainstream of European and international research. Each research area is assigned to a specific research center, of which there are twelve totals. Information regarding the research centers, their activities and production is available at http://www.fbk.eu/research-centers .

Workplace

The FBK Center for Digital Industry focuses its research on digital technologies for the various domains in industry (e.g., aerospace, railway, automotive, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, etc.) by creating applications for critical systems, adaptive and autonomous systems, advanced perception, diagnostics and prediction systems. It is involved in multiple European research projects and collaborates with numerous institutions and multinational companies on strategic projects with a high innovation content – including the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Italian Railways Network (RFI).
The position is opened by the Planning Scheduling and Optimization Unit (PSO Unit) of the Digital Industry Center of FBK. The Unit carries out basic and applied research, tool development and technology transfer in the field of automated planning, discrete optimization and process scheduling with applications in autonomous robotic systems and flexible manufacturing.
FBK actively seeks diversity and inclusion in the workplace and is also committed to promoting gender equality. To promote the inclusion of disabled staff as per law 68/99, the Foundation is available and interested in evaluating the applications received for technical-scientific domains that do not correspond exactly to this call.

Job Description

The open research position is in the field of reinforcement learning for automated planning and scheduling. The STEP-RL project aims at using modern reinforcement learning techniques to synthesize guidance of various forms (e.g. heuristics, pruning rules, macro actions, parameters configurations) for state-of-the-art automated temporal planners. We are looking for exceptional post-doctoral researchers, passionate about the integration of learning and symbolic AI methods: the STEP-RL project will allow the selected candidate to perform full-time curiosity-driven research on the project themes. This is a unique opportunity to pursue basic research in the area of learning for symbolic systems, as the only expected outcomes are top-tier publications and impactful research in the planning and learning communities.
The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the project PI (Andrea Micheli), as well as other researchers, programmers and students involved in the unit. Moreover, the candidate is expected to help in the supervision of PhD students involved in the ERC project.

Job requirements

The ideal candidate should have:

• PhD in computer science or mathematics or equivalent 3yrs research experience;
• Knowledge of the research field of Automated Planning and Reinforcement Learning
• Software development skills (preferably Python and/or Rust);
• Ability to carry out an independent research program;
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment and deliver in research projects;
• Oral and written proficiency in English.
• A collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal and communication skills;
• A result-oriented approach characterized by determination, flexibility, and analytical problem-solving.

Furthermore, the following elements will be positively evaluated:

• Technical knowledge of Logic, Satisfiability Modulo Theory (SMT), Automated Planning, or Model Checking;
• A history of publications in top-tier AI venues (e.g., IJCAI, AAAI, ICAPS, or ECAI);
• Experience contributing to national or European research projects.

Employment

Type of contract: fixed-term contract
Working hours : Full time (38 h per week)
Start date : indicatively March 2026
Duration :12 months, with the possibility of extending the contract depending on funding
Workplace : Povo, Trento
Gross annual salary: about € 44.500, plus objectives achievements bonus
Benefits : flexi-time, company subsidized cafeteria or meal vouchers, internal car park, welcome office support for visa formalities and for research in accommodation, accommodation etc., supplementary pension and health fund, social security (SANIFONDS), family-work balance, free training courses, support on bank account opening, discount on public transport, sport, language course fees, counseling and psychological support service. More info at https://www.fbk.eu/en/work-with-us/

Application

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application by completing the online form ( https://jobs.fbk.eu/ ). Please make sure that your application contains the following attachments (in pdf format):

• Detailed CV including relevant past experiences (as an attached document in PDF format);
• Cover Letter (explaining your motivation for this specific position).

Application deadline: 09/02/2025

Please read our Recruitment Regulations before completing your application.
For further information or technical issues regarding the application, please contact the People Innovation for Research Department at jobs@fbk.eu .