The Nanonetworking Center in Catalunya (N3Cat) at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) seeks one bright and motivated postdoctoral researcher in the areas of computer architecture, interconnects, and AI to help us shape the future research lines of our research group as the leader of the CHIPS group at N3Cat. Hence, we are interested in high-calibre profiles that aspire to become group leaders and be the principal investigator of their own projects in the short term. The work for this position will be done in the framework of highly competitive and prestigious projects from the European Research Council (ERC Starting Grant), the European Innovation Council (EIC Pathfinder), and the Spanish Government which envision a revolution in computer architecture enabled by unconventional approaches, namely in-memory computing, quantum computing, and wireless interconnects.

Scope

N3Cat offers a three year contract, to be renewed yearly, to one highly qualified and motivated postdoctoral researcher to work on the area of next-generation computer engineering and architecture. The candidate applying to this particular offer would be working in several tasks, including:

• Modeling of new emerging technologies such as nanomaterial-based devices, on-chip RF transceivers, or in-memory computing tiles.
• Development of novel protocols and architectures for unconventional computing systems including in-memory computing, hybrid classical-quantum systems, or AI accelerators.
• Development of system-level simulations for computer architectures with unconventional interconnects, hardware approaches, and workloads.
• Contribution to the definition of new research lines to follow at the CHIPS research group in N3Cat.
• Leadership in the execution of on-going projects at the CHIPS research group in N3Cat.
• Leadership efforts to recruit new students for the CHIPS research group in N3Cat.
• Mentorship of his/her own undergraduate and graduate students.

Work environment and conditions

The position is fully funded for three years, renewed yearly, but with the view to extend indefinitely based on new projects that will be secured. Your office will be located at UPC Campus Nord in Barcelona. The applicant will be able to collaborate with groups from the US, Germany, or Switzerland, to name a few, through common projects and new proposals. A postdoctoral research stay in such places is not mandatory, but encouraged.

The following list is part of the employment package:

• Salary around 42K€ gross per year, which is the highest base salary for a postdoctoral researcher at the institution and a very competitive salary in the Spanish research ecosystem.
• Potential for salary improvements depending on the projects secured.
• Support for the writing and submission of grants, both personal (MSCA, ERC) and collective (EIC, others)
• Thirty (30) natural days of holidays plus standard bank holidays (all paid)
• Healthcare benefits (social security) throughout the grant. You will get standard Spanish healthcare benefits which are equivalent to the healthcare provided to Spanish citizens. Public healthcare in Spain is considered among the best in the world.
• Travel allowance, if coming from abroad: one-way flight tickets from your location to Barcelona.
• Accommodation, if coming from abroad: 1 natural month at the UPC dorms, specifically at the UPC Campus Residencia Torre Girona.
• Paid research stays in a top-tier international organization (e.g. US, Germany, Switzerland) of at least three months, typically six months, if the candidate agrees.
• Paid trips to conferences.
• Desktop computer to work on campus.
• Laptop computer to work outside campus.

Candidate Profile

We welcome Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science candidates holding a doctoral degree from a respected institution. We are particularly seeking individuals:

• Less than five years since the PhD was awarded.
• With a solid publication record.
• With proven leadership and independence skills.
• Highly motivated to lead a group.
• With attention to detail.
• With excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills.
• With solid English (both oral and written).

Practical experience working in the topics of wireless communications, in-memory computing, quantum computing, interconnects, AI accelerators, system architecture will be valued. Experience with computer architecture simulators like gem5 or SST will be valued positively as well.