Associate Professor in Informatics

Position

The Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano is seeking candidates to fill a full-time tenured position at the Associate Professor level in Informatics (Professore Associato in the scientific sector INFO-01/A under the Italian academic system).

The successful candidate is expected to have an independent research portfolio in computational data science, including but not limited to machine learning, high-performance computing, large-scale data analysis, algorithmic decision-making, language and text data processing, and artificial intelligence—particularly its applications to business contexts. Additionally, candidates should have expertise in applying these methods to business and economic domains, such as financial data science, business analytics, data science for economics, and predictive analytics for decision-making. The ideal candidate will be interested in collaborating with faculty members in the macro-area “Quantitative Methods and Economic Modeling”.

Duties include at least 120 hours of teaching per year at the undergraduate, master or doctoral levels as well as student supervision. The compensation package for the position is competitive and matches that of leading European universities. Additionally, under certain conditions, it is possible to obtain a long-standing, substantial reduction in income tax in Italy for up to 13 years. The expected appointment date is March 2026.

Qualifications

Candidates should have a PhD in Data Science, Computer Science, or a closely related discipline with a strong computational component and demonstrated relevance to economics or business applications. A solid track record of teaching at the BSc, MSc, and PhD levels is expected. They must have an outstanding record of scientific publications in high-impact journals, with a strong track record in leading computational, data science, or quantitative methods journals. The successful candidate will join the research cluster in Quantitative Methods and Economic Modeling and take an active lead in the development of research initiatives in her/his areas of expertise. Additionally, the candidate is expected to engage in interdisciplinary research that connects computational methods with applications in business, finance, and economics. Teaching duties will require proficiency in at least two of the three official teaching languages at the Faculty of Economics and Management (German, Italian, or English). Candidates must have language skills in English and either German or Italian at native speaker or C1 level.

The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano especially encourages female scientists to submit their expression of interest.

Requirements

According to Italian legislation, only candidates already holding an academic position equivalent of Associate Professor at their current foreign (non-Italian) university (see here https://www.mur.gov.it/it/atti-e- normativa/decreto-ministeriale-n-456-del-10-05-2023 for the full equivalency list) are eligible to take part in this application process of a “direct call from abroad”.

Applications that do not satisfy this requirement will not be short-listed.

Furthermore, the Selection Committee will consider applicants meeting the following conditions:

1. Excellence in research at the international level, demonstrated by publications in leading international journals, including those with a high impact factor;
2. Evidence of high-quality teaching and mentoring;
3. Significant level of service to the department, the university and the profession;
4. Evidence of ability to raise external funds for research;
5. English and either German or Italian at native speaker or C1 level.

Application procedure

To apply, please submit:

1. Cover letter describing your interest in the position and qualifications, including a statement of your current academic position
2. Academic curriculum vitae including publications and research projects (the use of the attached form “Attachment A – University Academic CV” available on https://www.unibz.it/en/home/position-calls/positions-for-academic-staff/7750-informatics?group=58 is recommended but not mandatory)
3. Statement of current and future research plans
4. Statement of teaching philosophy and experience
5. Teaching evaluations

6. Contact information to request 3 reference letters

   The application (cover letter) must be signed and dated, and all the documents must be sent via e-mail to recruitment_economics@unibz.it, attn. dott.ssa Anna Mattioli.

Applications will be accepted until 31.08.2025. Short-listed candidates who meet the requirements will be invited to attend an online preliminary interview potentially leading to an on-site personal interview at the Bolzano-Bozen campus of the Faculty of Economics and Management.

About the Faculty

The Faculty of Economics and Management was founded in 1998 and currently counts over 1.100 students and more than 60 faculty members, who study and work in three languages: English, German, and Italian. Through academic excellence in research and teaching, the Faculty contributes to the development of the South-Tyrolean economy while being solidly connected to international scientific networks.

The Free University of Bozen-Bolzano is ranked 176-200 in the "Times Higher Education 2024" Subject Ranking for "Business & Economics", and 351-400 for the university as a whole, and was recently named one of the top small universities in Italy. The working language of the Faculty of Economics and Management is English, but teaching is done also in German and Italian.

For more detailed information on the academic portfolio of the position, please contact Prof. Davide Ferrari (davferrari@unibz.it ).

For general information about the position, terms and conditions of working at the Faculty of Economics and Management please contact the Dean Prof. Marjaana Gunkel: marjaana.gunkel@unibz.it.

Additional Information: https://www.unibz.it/en/faculties/economics-management/

We also inform you that information on breaches acquired in a work-based relationship („Whistleblowing“) can be

reported under the link Altri contenuti / Libera Università di Bolzano (unibz.it)

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