PhD Position Automated Code Refactoring at the Future of Software Engineering (FUSE) lab

PhD Position Automated Code Refactoring at the Future of Software Engineering (FUSE) lab Want to rethink the future of software engineering at scale? Join researchers from TU Delft and Meta Platforms as a PhD student in the newly established FUSE Lab!

Job description

As generative artificial intelligence is transforming the daily work of software engineers, TU Delft and the Meta Dev Infra team join forces in a research lab to investigate how we can leverage AI to advance the daily experience and productivity of software engineers at the scale of Meta's tens of thousands of software engineers.

Across several tracks, we will develop tools that rethink the future of software engineering. Our work will be informed by sound theories and supported by empirical data. In this project, we will use AI as an opportunity and address the challenges that emerge due to AI. Our goal is to conduct rigorous research, apply our results in practice at Meta and to educate the students of TU Delft about the new insights we gather. We will focus on open science, sharing our results to help developers across the world.

Automated Code Refactoring

The focus is on exploring and evaluating the potential of LLM-based automated refactoring of codebases with the ultimate goal of reducing software complexity and improving code quality. We will investigate how LLMs can support and automate tasks such as enhancing maintainability and performance while also reducing technical debt and facilitating bug detection and bug fixing. The main modules include (1) capturing practitioners' experiences and expectations to establish a roadmap, (2) developing models and benchmarks for LLM-based refactoring, (3) designing autonomous agents, and (4) conducting studies to analyse real-world impact.

We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive research environment and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their background or experience. We believe that diversity contributes to a more innovative and creative research community.

If you do not meet some of the optional requirements listed, we encourage you to still apply and explain how your unique experience and skills can contribute to our research.

Job requirements

Required (by the Graduate School of TU Delft):

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, or a related field.
• Proficiency in the English language (Graduate Schools Admission Requirements)

Additional requirements:

• Research focus, characterized by curiosity, data fluency, and critical thinking
• Engineering mindset, including ability to create experimental prototypes and demonstrators
• Team player, good listener, and ready to help.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations of the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment - which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.

Only applications via the application system will be considered. Find more information about the research lab on our website: https://se.ewi.tudelft.nl/fuse-lab/

The PhD positions will be fully at TU Delft, with strong collaboration with Meta.

Application procedure

• CV
• Motivational letter

If you apply to multiple vacancies of our lab, your cover letters should include a ranking of your interest towards each of the four tracks, and explain your motivation for this ranking.

Your application has to contain a statement clarifying if and how you used AI to create the application documents.

If you have previously written academic works (theses, papers, ...), please include them or links to them in your application package.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Please note:

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