PhD Candidate-AI for Automated Human Behavior Annotation

Are you passionate about state-of-the-art machine learning technologies and their potential to deepen our understanding of human social behavior? At Noldus Information Technology B.V. in Wageningen, The Netherlands, we offer you the opportunity to contribute to a four-year industrial research and development project as a PhD candidate.

What will you do?

In this role, you will develop advanced annotation technologies that leverage active learning and large language and vision models (LLMs/VLMs). You will validate the methodologies you develop through clinical studies focused on the classification of human behavior.

Your role

You will join the COHABIT project, funded by the TKI Top Sector program “Life Sciences & Health”. This project is a collaboration between Utrecht University’s Social and Affective Computing group at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences, and Noldus Information Technology. Employed by Noldus, you will be dividing your time between Noldus IT in Wageningen and Utrecht University.

Researchers and healthcare professionals increasingly rely on automated behavior recognition for diagnostics, prediction, and gaining insights into future health conditions. To study complex human behavior, such as social interaction and emotional expression, they are turning to AI-based analyses of video recordings. However, existing methods often fall short in terms of reliability, validity, and scalability for scientific applications. In particular, the automated annotation of source data remains a significant challenge.

As a PhD candidate, you will develop and validate innovative annotation technologies that improve the reliability of automated human behavior analysis. Your work will contribute directly to advancing AI methodologies for scientific and clinical applications.

What we offer

We offer you the opportunity to work on innovative AI research with both scientific and societal impact, while pursuing a PhD degree in a collaborative academic–industry environment.

In addition, you can expect:

• An initial one-year appointment, with the possibility of extension to four years following a positive evaluation after the first year

• A position of 32–40 hours per week

• A salary in accordance with scale P of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU). For full time employment, this corresponds to a gross monthly salary ranging from € 3.204,00 in the first year to € 4.051,00 in the fourth year based on a full time (40-hour) working week.

• 8% holiday allowance

• An 8,33% year-end bonus

• A pension scheme and other attractive employment benefits

Why Noldus?

For more than 35 years, Noldus has been a leading provider of solutions for animal and human behavior research. Researchers at top universities and research institutes worldwide use our software to conduct cutting-edge studies.

At Noldus Information Technology you will become part of our AI Research team. As a member of the AI Research team, you will work in a multidisciplinary and international environment alongside enthusiastic engineers, researchers, and specialists. We value open communication, mutual respect, and collaboration. Our organization combines short communication lines with a supportive atmosphere where there is always room for meaningful discussions and occasional laughter.

About Utrecht University

At Utrecht University, the ambition to create a better future for everyone drives world-class research and inspiring education. Researchers from different disciplines collaborate closely on major strategic themes, including Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences, and Pathways to Sustainability.

You will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Salah within the Social and Affective Computing group at the Department of Information and Computing Sciences, Faculty of Science. Through Utrecht University, you will have access to PhD training and courses offered through the Graduate School program, supporting both your academic and professional development.

The procedure

·         We carefully review your application

·         First introduction on-site or via Teams, informal, no suit required

·         Second interview on-site, including a practical case

·         If we are mutually enthusiastic, we will make you a suitable offer

·         Welcome to Noldus: with a warm onboarding and thorough introduction program

Ready to take on this challenge with us?
Take the next step and send your application as soon as possible!

Hiring Manager: Harold Bult (harold.bult@noldus.com)

Closing date: September 1, 2026

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

What you bring

You are an ambitious and motivated researcher with a strong interest in both academic excellence and practical impact. Ideally, you bring several of the following qualifications:

• A Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.

• Demonstrable experience with machine learning methods and/or related techniques.

• A genuine interest in societal challenges and the responsible application of AI for the public good.

• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively with researchers, industry partners, and other stakeholders.

• An interest in multidisciplinary research and the motivation to conduct innovative, thorough, and impactful research.

• Excellent written communication skills in English.

Proficiency in Dutch is an advantage, as part of the AI training material is available in Dutch